Art of Deception: An Itachi Uchiha Story
by Dulcetvoice
Summary: On a mission gone awry, Mizuki finds herself prey to no one else than one of her tribe's worst enemies: Uchiha Itachi. However, what will happen when he discovers her true identity? Capture? Humiliation? Death? Or all of the above? ItachixOC !REVIEW!
1. Chapter One: A Fate Worse Than Failure

**Dulcet: **Hey all! This first chapter is probably my longest of all my chapters in any of my other stories. I'm not sure if this will be standard length or what… but here it is!

**And if you know me well, you know that I love reviews!

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**Part One**

**Chapter One: A Fate Worse Than Failure**

The still silence of the dark castle halls should have made any sound seem as loud as an alarm in itself, and yet a single figure was able to race through them undetected, moving with footsteps so skilled that their lack of noise was enough to rival a passing of the Grim Death. Not a single tap, tap, tap, or a thump, thump, thump. Only silence as the person raced along, dressed entirely in black like a shadow creeping through your mind, filling it with uneasiness and fear. The figure paused at a corner, their blue starry eyes glancing about through the slit in the ninja mask that covered their face. The pause was only momentary though, as they saw they were soon coming upon their destination, nearly ending their mission. But it wasn't long until they stopped again, blinking as they could feel the irritation of the black face make-up that covered what little of their face still showed.

_'Okay,'_ she thought, _'Once this is over, I definitely need to talk to someone about finding a different way to mask my face. This shadowing is killing me!'_

What annoyed her all the more was that she couldn't take it off yet. She had to wait who knew how much longer for the mission to be complete, which might not be for a while, depending on how it all progressed. But then, finally she saw it: the door that withheld her target, guarded by only two men. This was where one of her special talents came in. From one of her pouches, she extracted two specialized darts with cone like appearances, a single sharp tip at the end. Then, she rested one in each hand on the side of her gloved fingers, poised to be fired with a simple flick of her thumb. It only took a moment for her to take aim, but once she did, she felt no hesitation to fire, hitting each guard squarely in the neck, their only sounds being that of their bodies falling unconsciously to the floor from the poison that had been introduced to their system. From there it was an easy business to tie them up, gag, and hide them away as to prolong the time between now and the sound of the alarm. After all, it was better to have too much time to escape than too little.

And so finally Mizuki closed the door on the closet they were put in, reaching up to wipe the sweat from her brow. Now… back to business. Mizuki turned her attention to the door and went over to it. Carefully she tried to slide it aside but there was resistance as she did so: Locked. _'Great….'_ Mizuki thought as she crouched down and began to work at the lock, a skill picked up from days separate from her ninja training, _'This is just what I need.'_

It wasn't much longer until she was able to open it though, and when she did she had to check herself to not let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't time to relax yet. Instead, she had to stay focused. The task wasn't complete yet. And so she tried the door again, easing it open inch by inch. But once it was open, Mizuki was surprised to find that there was no extra alarm rigged to the door; nothing to be triggered as it opened. That almost seemed suspicious… But when she looked into the room, she could tell that there actually was indeed an extra precaution of sorts: strings and strings of bells suspended on invisible wire hung everywhere! A single slip and the multiple little instruments would sound, breaking the silence of this place and alerting whoever was nearby. It might have sounded threatening to someone else to evade them, but not Mizuki. This might have been another reason why she was chosen for this particular mission, her being as flexible as a cat and as acrobatic as monkey. No, Mizuki only found this obstacle to be another pestering annoyance and one that she could easily conquer.

So, after securing her long black braid into her shirt, she began her work, deftly slinking, stepping, and sliding her way around the trap with as little as effort as she would put into walking. It took her a matter of minutes to reach the center of the room where the object that she wanted awaited her: a scroll containing the secrets of one of the many rivals that her tribe had collected throughout its existence. But as she lifted it, she was brought to realize that it had been weighing down several streams of bells, which were now released and beginning to ring.

"Oh no…" she muttered as the strings set off a chain reaction and completely rearranged the pattern of the maze of bells, setting the entire room ringing. And then she saw it: her escape! She tucked the scroll away and then made her way to the window, not even bothering with stealth now as she went to the curtains, praying that there was actually a window behind it instead of merely being a decoy. And just like that, she threw the curtains back to see her prayers were answered. However, what lay beyond the glass pane on the other side of the window worried her. As she opened the coverings, she found herself looking into two red and black eyes, which were staring right back at her. She had no time to consider them though. And instead of turning around and heading back to the door, where guards would probably be flooding the halls by now, she drew back her fist and sent it crashing through the glass on a collision course towards the face of the man crouching on the window sill. It was stopped though, as her blow was caught, her hand being restrained as it was enclosed in his just as it had come in contact with his palm.

Mizuki wasn't surprised for a moment though. Instead, she let her left hand reach into her dart pouch to shoot one off before the opponent could think… or at least she thought he hadn't time to think. For in that one moment in between Mizuki's preparation and her actually firing it off, her other hand was seized and she was pulled right off of her feet and out through the window. The next thing she knew, she was being flung through the air and towards the roofs below.

A few months ago, she probably would have landed with a hard impact, but that had been then, and this was now. So, instead she was able maneuver herself to land on her feet like the cat she was, poised and ready for the opponent's next move. However, spying her enemy again, she noticed that he had the one thing that determined the success of her mission: the scroll that she had come here to steal. Seeing it there, she checked where she had tucked it away, only to find it missing from its spot.

Then, without a word the other ninja bolted off along the other rooftop, eager to escape the authorities that were in search of what he possessed. Mizuki's eyes narrowed as she went after the other figure dressed in black, knowing that she would have to get that scroll back by any means necessary. Of course, this was easier said than done, especially for Mizuki. This girl had been mildly trained from a young age, only having received further instruction recently for this particular mission. She hadn't been prepared for this, though, and she especially lacked in reacting to enemy ninja, which was why it was so difficult for her to keep up with this man. He was an elusive one indeed. On top of that, she not only had to keep her eye on him, but also she had to keep an eye for anyone that might try to stop her. In fact, it didn't take long for archers to begin shoot off arrows at her, and for other warriors to commence throwing other dangerous objects. _'This sucks…' _she thought to herself as she dodged projectile after projectile in her chase, _'I don't even have the scroll! Are these Tsubasa people that stupid?'_

Luckily, however, the two opposing thieves were able to make it out of that palace and back into the forest that surrounded it. But once a good way into the trees, Mizuki saw that there was a horse before them, saddled and ready to go. _'No… no… NO!'_ she thought, knowing exactly what was going to happen before she watched it being played out before her. The man quickly mounted the beast and bolted off, far into the trees and out of sight.

At this, Mizuki finally removed her mask to better watch him go, glaring after him. "Uchiha!" she cursed the red and black eyed man as she threw the mask down into the dirt. There was no catching him now. She would be at it all night trying to find him. But she sighed, then picked up the discarded cloth and began to remove her make-up, revealing a moonlight complexion with the exception of three stars tattooed above her right brow, the first being the largest and black, the second being a bit smaller and red, the last being the smallest and blue. It was because of these markings that she even had to wear the make-up anyway. If she were ever to be seen with or without her mask, then she would easily be able to be identified, just by looking at her eyes and those stars. So, knowing this, taking off her mask was a foolish thing, but she didn't care.

This hunt would require her full senses, and the restraining feel of that mask would definitely not help. And so she ran after the ninja, following the faint hoof prints of the horse that he had escaped on. But as she went along, she could sense something bad was going to happen. That was always the case when it came to dealing with enemy ninja, especially if they were someone as skilled as an Uchiha.

Unfortunately, she was proven right when she came to the end of the trail at a riverbed of gravel, where a path would have been impossible to find. That's when she put her hands on her hips and looked up to the stars, searching and praying for the patience that she so desperately needed. And that's when she saw it. Far above the trees' canopies, there was a stream of smoke coming from the far right. But it couldn't be him! Uchihas were masters of deception and misleading, and they were well known for their fair turnout of elite ninjas. It was impossible that he would be so stupid as to give away his position!

Unless it wasn't accidental at all… it must have been a trap! That would be the only explanation of such an action! But why? Why would the Uchiha ninja want to lure her? Well… if she did go, she would be doing exactly what he wanted. Then again, if she didn't go, there would be no chance for her to ever retrieve the scroll, and that was not acceptable! So, she replaced her mask and let her braid out of her shirt as she rushed towards the smoke, as if it was a signal that was urging her to come.

It didn't take long for her to get there, but what she found surprised her beyond all reason. There was no Uchiha man. Instead, there was a strange creature-like person sitting at the campfire… And that was no understatement. In all of her years, Mizuki had never seen anything like it. He was like a shark man with blue skin, beady eyes, sharp teeth, and gills! It was horrifying really. But just as she was about to turn and go to finish her pursuit, she heard a thundering of hooves approaching the campsite… and there he was. The other ninja quickly dismounted and looked around. "What do you think you're doing with that fire?" he questioned, "We could be found out!"

"Please," the unnamed companion returned, "Those idiots at the Tsubasa Castle wouldn't be able to track you to the spot where you assumed the horse, let alone here."

"It's not the Tsubasa that I'm worried about…" the man said as he pulled off his mask to reveal his identity to Mizuki. Uchiha Itachi… the eldest of the last two Uchiha members. "There was another ninja there," he explained, "I was easily able to take the scroll from him, but he pursued. I am not sure how far he will be able to track me, but judging by the fact that he had set off an alarm in the first place gives me the idea that he's not too bright and that he will not get far. But still you never know… I don't think that we should take chances."

_'That's right you shouldn't take chances…'_ Mizuki thought smugly, _'Because here I am.'_

"C'mon…" the blue man said disbelievingly, "If he does come, we'll be able to take care of-"

However, he was cut off as he fell over, put into a state of unconsciousness as he received one of Mizuki's poison darts in his throat. The Itachi fellow instantly became aware that someone was near and stood poised, looking around for the attacker. But once he could not find him, he disappeared out of sight. He would not be a sitting duck!

Then, the next thing that Mizuki knew, she was being pulled from her crouching position and then having a blade put to her throat as she was also being urged into the clearing and out of hiding. "Who are you?" the man demanded, "And what have you done to him?"

"Your friend?" Mizuki asked as she tried to hide the fear in her voice, "Nothing. I only poisoned him."

"Poison?" he repeated as his impending wrath began to creep out, the blade's cold steel acquiring a harsher pressure on her neck, "What sort?"

"My special concoction," Mizuki smiled as she realized that she could have some fun with this, "If it isn't treated soon, he will die."

"Then give me the remedy!" the man demanded.

"You wouldn't honestly think that I would be carrying a cure for a poison that I use against my enemies, would you?"

"Listen!" he demanded as he spun her about and tore off her mask, spotting her face for the first time. He didn't go on right away though. "You're… a girl," he commented in confusion.

Mizuki didn't blame him for the mistake. Uniforms were designed specifically so that there could be no distinction between genders and with their masks on, a woman's voice would be muffled enough to sound like a male's. "Very good, Uchiha," Mizuki bit back, "Now can you tell me what sound a cow makes?"

"Silence!" Itachi barked as he regained himself, "Now tell me how to save him."

"What will I get in return?"

"A trade," Itachi answered as he returned the kunai blade to her throat, "Give me the antidote, and you will be spared."

"But if you do kill me, he will die," Mizuki pointed out, knowing this old trick and just how to play it out to her advantage.

"And what else do you suggest that I trade you?"

"What else indeed? The Tsubasa Scroll, of course."

"His life is not worth the loss of the scroll."

Mizuki was appalled to hear these words. Tales of Uchiha Itachi's ruthlessness had circulated well throughout her clan since he was affiliated in not one, but two of their enemy groups, one being the Uchihas, the other being the Akatsuki. But she would never have believed him to do such a thing as surrender his comrade's life for a mission, regardless that she was bluffing the fact that his life was in any danger at all. Wait… yes he would have. This was Uchiha Itachi she was talking about after all! Of course he would do something like this! And this being the fact, Mizuki knew that she was out of bargaining chips. "Fine," she surrendered, "That seems fair… But I will need a few things to make the potion."

"Name it and I will go retrieve whatever you need," Itachi agreed as he pulled the kunai away and placed it back on his belt.

"You trust me to stay here?" Mizuki questioned as she began to take a step away from him.

Itachi caught her wrist though, and stopped her from moving any further. "Of course not," he answered, "That is why you will let me tie you up to assure that you will not escape."

"Out of the question!" Mizuki objected, "I will not let you, of all people, do such a thing to me!"

"It is either that or I kill you now," Itachi pointed out as he reached for his weapons again and pulled out the small throwing knife.

"Fine!" Mizuki uselessly finally gave in, "Fine!"

"Oh… and one last thing," he began as he scratched his jaw line with the blade, "To assure that you won't try and escape from the rope as well, I am going to have to ask you to remove all articles of your clothing so that I know you don't have any tricks hidden away that would aid you in your flight."

For a moment, Mizuki just stared blankly at him. "You must be joking?" she told him, "As if tying me up isn't enough… you're making me remove all of my clothes?"

"Only until I am convinced that you don't have any more devices on your person," he assured her, "Then I will give you some of my own clothes to wear until my comrade is better."

"You're a manipulative jerk," Mizuki told him as she tried to wrench her wrist free from his grasp, finding it futile.

"You can't blame me for being cautious," he pointed out before finally relinquishing his grip on her.

"No…" she answered taking that much needed step back as she massaged her wrist, "I can't."

"Then let's get this over with," he suggested as he turned to go to his bag and started digging through his things.

Mizuki thought about running… but if she did, then she knew that Itachi would easily be able to catch her, and once he did he would only bring her back and insist on his demands. And she couldn't tell him that making an antidote was pointless in the end because then he would simply kill her anyway. After all, it was obvious who would win in a fight, him being the infamous Uchiha Itachi and Mizuki being… well… more crafty than she was strong. She had to do this, no matter how much she hated it. And so she began to hesitantly remove her clothing, starting with her belts and other accessories. It felt so strange to her to be stripping her attire out in the open like this, especially with someone else present. And that went doubly since said person was both a man AND her enemy. This… was so wrong. And as if things couldn't get any worse, once Itachi had found a cable to bind her with, plus some of his clothes, he began to watch her, probably to make sure that the female for sure had no more tricks. And of course this bothered Mizuki, so as she stood with all of her weaponry and equipment removed, down to just her clothes, she put her hands on her hips. "So do you want me to go slowly while I do this, or fast so you can get to the good part?" she questioned as she shot a glare at him, "Or could you just not watch while I undress?"

Then, to Mizuki's surprise, Itachi turned around, leaning against the nearby tree to face the opposite direction in order to give her privacy. "Don't you even dare try anything," he told her from where he stood, waiting for her to finish.

The girl could only stand there for a moment in shock. The first compromise of the night! Finally! With that, Mizuki disrobed, thankful for the bandages that she had adorned around her entire torso as well as the cotton shorts that you couldn't hide even a needle in, leaving only her limbs and head naked. "Okay," she called as she stood trying to cover herself all the same, feeling exposed and naked, which she nearly was technically, "I'm ready."

With that, Itachi turned and looked the girl up and down. She couldn't have been more than… well… his age. She was perhaps sixteen or seventeen, even though this should have already been easy to guess judging by the way she acted towards him, so dishonorable and rebellious like any average teenager. But now he was approaching her, circling around her to make sure that there was absolutely nothing on her. Then he went to her and pulled out that stupid little kunai again. Then glancing from the knife to the bandages then to Mizuki he asked, "May I?"

"What?" she asked in shock, "What could I possibly have on my person still?"

But without waiting for proper permission, he began to cut away the bandages at her stomach, leaving only the necessary remnants barely around her chest. "Clear," he finally announced as he handed her the clothes, which she eagerly accepted. _'Kill me now, gods…'_ she begged,_'Just kill me now…'_

Of course, that would have been preferable over having to go through this embarrassment. In fact, Mizuki was seriously considering taking Itachi's offer of death as it was becoming all the more tempting as time went on. But she knew that if she was going to fail in her mission tonight, she would have to live to bring back any information she could for her clan, and that included the fact that Uchiha Itachi of the Akatsuki now had the Tsubasa Scroll._'They had better appreciate this…'_ she thought to herself as she dressed again, pulling on the clothes that had been given her in record time. Since Itachi was of a taller, stronger, and broader build than Mizuki's smaller size, the clothes hung drastically on her. The shirt's collar threatened to slip every second and she was practically stepping on the hem of the pants. "Now give me your wrists," Itachi demanded once she was dressed again.

And so Mizuki stuck out her wrists, ready to be tied, which the Uchiha immediately did with skill and speed. Then, he pulled her over to a tree to which one of its branches he tied the other end of the rope. He then took another cord and bound Mizuki's feet together. "Yeah… that'll hold me," she commended irritably as she felt the firm hold they had on her.

Itachi said nothing though as he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around so that her chest was pressed against the trunk of the tree as Itachi began to undo her braid. Gods! This guy was thorough! Itachi slowly inspected Mizuki's black silk as he undid the braid and unleashed her hair that now had a few waves that were not natural to her. Then, once most it was completely undone, Mizuki could feel the calloused texture of his hands as his fingers ran through her hair once more, now near her scalp.

As he searched the thick locks of soft hair, though, Itachi noticed a strange and soothing scent being released. It reminded him of… of… nighttime. Like dew on cool grass, or the smell of flowers in serene dark meadow. It was so calming that it actually began to reduce his temper with her. It reminded him of something... A far off memory, lingering on the edge of his mind. After finishing with that, though, he turned her around again and stared at her for a moment, noticing a significant transformation in her appearance now that her hair had been taken down. She no longer looked like the ninja that he had captured. Instead she reminded him more of a broken moon nymph, depressed and saddened that she had been trapped, restrained in human grasps. Memories began to slowly slip back into his mind... This thought was dismissed though as Mizuki spoke again, her defeat apparent in her voice. "Satisfied?" she asked him.

"Almost," he answered as he ran a hand through her hair again, much slower this time as he was being careful not to miss anything that could have been caught or hidden there.

"If there was anything to find, I'm sure that you would have found it by now," Mizuki insisted as she reached for his hand with her bound ones and drew it away, growing tired and disgusted of his touching her as he was.

And so Itachi stopped and pulled his hand back, allowing Mizuki to carefully ease herself down, the length of the rope that tied her to the tree by her wrists being so short that her arms had to hang above her head as she sat.

Following her down, Itachi crouched to look Mizuki in the eye as he questioned, "Now, what do I need?"

So Mizuki began to list useless or near useless plants that he could throw together such as flowers, leaves, weeds, and other herbaceous organisms. Itachi nodded his head, surprisingly seeming to take it all in and recognize each sort of plant. And then he was off on a useless search, leaving Mizuki tied up and hopeless. This truly was a fate worse than failure.


	2. Chapter Two: Elementary, My Dear Itachi

**Chapter Two: Elementary, My Dear Itachi, Elementary**

Uchiha Itachi eyed the goopy green concoction that he had brewed wearily, not trusting neither its look nor its scent. There was no way that this could be good for his partner. "And you're sure this will work?" Itachi questioned as he looked over to his captive, who was still tied to the tree and barely able to move.

"It's hard to tell," she replied with a sigh, "No one else besides me has made it before. But you could make sure that it was done right if you just let me-"

"For the final time," he interrupted her as he crossed over to his companion, "I am not untying you until Kisame-san is conscious and well… He will still be able to wake up at this point, I assume?"

With a well played shrug Mizuki answered, "I don't see why not. The poison's first symptom is paralysis, which takes a while to settle in. Death doesn't usually come for a full twenty-four hours."

And so Itachi picked up the toxic dart that he had removed from the blue man's throat earlier and dipped it into the brew. "Okay, now just put it into one of his veins," she instructed, "Best to try one on the arm."

And doing as instructed, Itachi rolled up the sleeve of the shark-man's shirt, then injected the medicine via the dart. "Now he should be waking any time now," Mizuki assured, "In the meantime, could you do me a favor and untie my ankles? The ropes are very irritating."

"Then I suggest that you deal with it…" Itachi growled as he went to the opposite side of the clearing from her to sit down and meditate, "It is not my job to make you comfortable."

"C'mon you jerk!" she screamed, wanting to make hell for him for the things that he had done to her that night, "You've taken away the one element that I need to complete my mission… You have robbed me of my honor… my dignity... my CLOTHES! The least you can do is undo that one rope."

"If I do, will you be quiet?" Itachi asked with a bit of ice coming through in his voice.

Mizuki nodded, which was enough reason for Itachi to rise from his spot and cross over to her, kneeling down where her bound feet rested on the ground, her knees propped up. Then he took out that accursed kunai that Mizuki had come to resent so that he could cut the knot instead of wasting time untying it. That's when he noticed the new markings around her naked ankles… they were bruised already. Then he took her leg in his hand to better examine the markings with a raised eyebrow. "What kind of ninja are you?" he questioned as he took this new discovery to be the final obscurity about the girl to urge his sense of curiosity out of silence. After all, so far she obviously acted like no ordinary elite warrior since she lacked discipline and a quiet mannerism, now there was this. If she bruised this easily then she was certainly not cut out to be a ninja.

Mizuki made no move to answer as she looked above at the forest canopy, her lips pursed as a signal of hush, carrying out the vow of silence that she had just made him. He gave a sigh then went back to the other side of the clearing for meditation. No matter. Kisame would be awake soon and he would certainly be able to deduce who she was. If ever there was a ninja that Itachi didn't know of, Kisame certainly would, or he would at least be able to determine their origins and this girl's origins were certainly strange to the Uchiha. He had not known of any clan, tribe, or village that used the darts that she carried, nor did he recognize her characteristics. Hair that was as black as any darkness and eyes that resembled stars better than the tattoos above her perfectly arched brow. Her uniform gave no hints either, nor her mannerisms, and she also carried no marking or symbol that classified her as even belonging to a group. A strange one indeed… And yet, beside how little he knew about her, Itachi couldn't help but feel a strong... feeling towards her. It was like deja vu when he saw her. Where had he seen her before?

Suddenly, there was a stirring over where Kisame lay, instantly alerting Itachi as he came to. He turned to the blue man and watched as he slowly sat up, his hand to his head as his vision seemed to be focusing… and of course the first thing he saw was Mizuki. A grin spread across his face as he saw the girl in loose clothing, tied defenseless to a tree with her hands over her head. "Is it my birthday?" he asked as he turned to Itachi.

The Uchiha almost seemed disgusted by the other Akatsuki member's behavior and was just about to reply when Kisame noticed something. "Wait… Why is she wearing your…" Another coy smile appeared on his face, revealing his rows of sharp teeth. "We-e-ell! Itachi-san! You decided to bring back a prize other than the scroll! You know, you could have just asked me to leave instead of knocking me out."

Hearing this, Mizuki blushed, shrinking back against the strong trunk of the tree as she drew her knees up, curling away as if she could hide from the accusations of the stranger. Luckily, Itachi was able to save her any more embarrassment as he began to explain himself, "Please… Give me more credit than that, Kisame-san. She is an enemy ninja. We need to know more about her so that we know what we are up against, so if you would…"

"Say no more!" he replied, jumping up with newly regained strength and stamina, "I'm on it."

With that, he quickly approached the girl and immediately began work. This made Mizuki feel unbelievably uncomfortable as she not only didn't trust this man based off of his previous comments, but also the fact that he was Akatsuki. So she could only shrink back and try and hide herself from him. "Get him away from me," she requested as she hid her face behind her arm.

Itachi made no attempt to stop Kisame though, as he drifted away from the girl's face and began to examine other parts of her body, starting with the hands. "Barely even calloused!" he announced on sight, then he reached and ran his own hand across the palm of one, "They're actually very soft. This suggests that she is not an especially strong fighter nor does she do much labor…"

He then moved down and felt her forearms and biceps, causing Mizuki to wriggle and try and struggle away from his cold contact. "Not very good muscle, it would seem…" he deducted, "She's a softy."

The other man still remained silent as Kisame continued with the examination, his next investigation feeling at her leg muscles. This was the worst of it so far since Mizuki didn't want to be scrutinized by this man in such a forward manner, causing her to squirm far more than before. "Nice legs…" he said, but Mizuki wasn't able to tell if it was a comment or a compliment, "It would seem that she endures healthy activity, but judging by her weak upper physique it probably mostly consists of running."

Hah! His first wrong accusation! Mizuki actually preferred swimming! And just as Kisame was going downward to the feet, he noticed the wrings around her dainty ankles. "What's this?" he questioned Itachi.

"I had her feet bound earlier," came the answer, "When I removed the bonds they left that in their place."

"Ah… a delicate flower are we?" he asked as he poked at the injuries, giving Mizuki the slightest of aches there. Kisame then picked up the girl's foot and began to examine the bottom, much to Mizuki's surprise. What could he ever learn from examining her foot? "Interesting…" he commented, "Her feet are only beginning to harden, suggested that she's hardly worked a day in her life before. She has only recently started her ninja training."

"That would explain… so much," Itachi commented, "A lazy and demanding brat."

"But not just any lazy and demanding brat," Kisame added before Mizuki could yell at the red eyed man for his comment, "Do you see her long hair? How neat and cared for it is? She spends a lot of time on her appearance."

"So she's vain…" Itachi interrupted, "So what?"

"No, not vain," the investigator corrected, "Noble."

"What?" the young man interrogated as he voiced Mizuki's disbelief at the blue man's brilliant reasoning.

"It's true," Kisame went on as if Mizuki wasn't even there, "Look at her: Her complexion is pale, telling that she must have not spent much time outside as most nobles can afford to do. And her hair is far too thick and long to be patiently managed by anyone other than someone like herself who is forced to keep it long for appearances and had others to help manage it. But what really gave her away were these lily-white hands of hers and how she is so very delicate… even commoners endure labor every now and then, or are hardened enough to withstand getting hurt so easily."

"Good job, Kisame-san," Itachi commended, "But now that we know that she is noble, how will we know who she is or where she is from?"

"I already know that as well," Kisame smirked, "These stars above her eyebrow. They are her trademark. It is little known that they are used to draw attention away from her expressive eyes, but it identifies her all the same."

"Then who she?"

No… he couldn't know… But everything else had been right so far. Well… except for the swimming… But he couldn't have possibly drawn too detailed conclusions…

"This is Hizoku Mizuki, princess of an entire community of out-laws and castaways that is known only as the Hizoku Clan."


	3. Chapter Three: Hostage

**Dulcet:** Don't for get those reviews!

**I loves them reviews!**

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**Chapter Three: Hostage**

The silence that followed the newly announced news was thick and soul shattering for Mizuki. Her precious secret identity had just been stolen and shared so that these two men-these Akatsuki-now knew almost everything about her from a simple reading. She felt so exposed, so weak, so vulnerable. All of her weaknesses had been exposed, all of her secrets. But… perhaps this was her fault for having weaknesses in the first place…

Then a sound brought Mizuki out of her thoughts. It was none other than the raven haired Uchiha Itachi that now was now speaking. "Hizoku… Mizuki…" he repeated as the name felt familiar on his lips, "I thought as much."

Yes, there was no doubting it now. This was indeed the same girl…

Mizuki's mouth dropped open in shock. He had suspected her identity before now? But how? What had given her away in the first place? "What do you mean?" Kisame questioned as he voiced the girl's thoughts of confusion and surprise, "How could you possibly have even guessed that without my help?"

Itachi slowly turned to look away from Mizuki to the questionnaire even though he did not answer for another few moments, as was his reserved way. "I knew someone who once saw the princess long ago," he answered, "I believe she came on a visit to our village in years passed and that someone who saw her explained to me what she looked like."

Then he crossed over and went back towards Mizuki, crouching down so that he was only about a foot away from her as he stared at her, his eyes straying to each feature as he explained them. "I remember the description well," he began, "'She is the starry night. With eyes so bright that stars are envious and hair so black it seems as if it was the darkened sky itself. And like the moon her skin is fair with her smile twice as bright and beautiful.'"

Listening to this description, Mizuki couldn't believe her ears. She hazily remembered the day she had gone with her father and brother to visit the Uchiha Clan, but hardly well enough. Unfortunately time had erased her memory of many minor details… and she herself had gotten rid of some of the more major ones. But it had taken Mizuki five long years to rid herself of them, and now she wished she had them back so that she might know the name or face of any person who could have done her appearance so kindly when she had only been the age of eleven or twelve. In fact, the words flattered her so much that they brought a blush to her 'fair skin'.

Both of the Akatsuki could easily see the new tint to the girl's cheeks as she stared amazed at Itachi, wondering how he could ever have remembered such poetic and descriptive words. "How sweet, Itachi-san…" Kisame grinned as he saw the pink coming into Mizuki's face, "I think that she is enjoying your sweet-talk."

Of course this comment didn't help matters as it only darkened the shade of embarrassment at her being caught red cheeked. So in attempt to hide her embarrassment, she turned her head away from them. She didn't want them to see her like that. "Ho, ho! I think she likes you, Itachi-san!" Kisame laughed, "Look at the way she's blushing!"

With that, Mizuki's head snapped back with only a trace of red still lingering on her cheeks as she glared over at the shark. "You have no idea how wrong you are, blue boy!" she yelled at him, "I hate every bit of Uchiha's heartless being!"

"And so she speaks," Kisame acknowledged as a trace of that smile still hung on to his mouth, "Is she always like this? So temperamental?"

"As far as I can tell…" Itachi answered, only to be cut off.

"I am NOT temperamental!" Mizuki objected, "I just hate the both of you."

"Break my heart," Kisame sneered, then turned back to Itachi once more, "So what are we going to do with her?"

"Well, because their members come from so many places, her subjects know the secrets of virtually every people that there is…" he began, "That is what gives them their cunning advantage in most situations."

"So we simply have to get her to tell the Akatsuki the Hizoku secrets…"

"No," Itachi denied, "I don't think that she even knows them all."

"Then how will we learn the one's that she doesn't?"

"That is simple. We will bring her back to the base where our leader can decide what to do with her."

Mizuki shrank back as her fury disappeared behind realization and fear. Something told her that the sun that was just beginning to rise would not signal her release as she had hoped it might have. In fact… nothing might ever give her hope of escaping these two men now. "I think that our leader would be most pleased if we brought her back to him…" Kisame agreed with a smile that showed his understanding.

And there it was; it was the one thing that Mizuki had dreaded hearing her entire life, ever since she had learned of kidnappings. Being prevented from doing what she wanted to do was already horrible enough… but to be forced to do something that she didn't want to was the worst kind of torture, and now it was tenfold because she would be troubling her own kind now that she was taken from them. What would happen to them? Would they declare war against the Akatsuki for their insolence? Or plan a rescue mission? Whatever their options, none of the results would be favorable. These Akatsuki people were like her own: clever and cautious. However, unlike the Hizoku, the Akatsuki were powerful and strong in combat.

"It is settled then," Itachi said with a nod, "We leave immediately."

Stiff… Mizuki had become stiff about an hour or so ago after she had begun to walk with her tied hands clenched into fists while her legs moved with jerky and gawky motions… What was going on with that girl? "Stop," Itachi finally ordered Kisame as he walked forward towards the girl that had been led on a rope since they had started out on this trek. "Sit," he told her as he motioned to a nearby rock that was just big enough for her to rest on.

"What?" she asked him as he backed her up towards the seat, then she instantly plopped down as she looked up at him in confusion.

But he said nothing as he went down and took one of her bare and dirtied feet in his hand and examined it. Cuts, blisters, and sores covered the near entire sole of her foot which told him what had been bothering her all this time. "When were you planning on telling me out this?" he asked, looking up at her.

"I wasn't…" she replied with those big and surprised blue eyes as she stared at him, watching as he went through his bag in search of something, "I didn't think that you'd really care."

"I don't," he answered as he continued his search, "But I am guessing that your feet will only get worse and eventually slow us down. So…" He quit his looking and turned his attention over to Kisame. "Do you have any bandages?" he asked.

"Why would we ever need bandages?" Kisame questioned as he also gave his answer.

With that, the Uchiha gave a slight sigh and then stood, grabbing the top of the sleeve of his white shirt that was hanging so loosely off of Mizuki, then tore it. "What are you doing now?" she asked him as he ripped it again so that he could get it off of her arm that was still tied up.

"We have no bandages," he pointed out as he began to make strips out of the sleeve, "And we can't have this getting any worse or you might start to complain and delay progress."

"My gods, Itachi-san…" Kisame let out as he put his hands on his hips, staring over at the other man, "Why don't you just carry her?"

"That will definitely not happen," Itachi assured his ally as he began to wrap the shreds of cloth around Mizuki's hurt feet with a deft gentleness that Mizuki was surprised that he even possessed. It barely even hurt as he gingerly applied the wrappings to the poor extremity. Then once he had completed the first job, tying off the cloth at the ankle, he went back to her other sleeve and shredded that one as well, repeating his previous procedure in silence.

"Finished," he announced after working on the other foot for too many moments involving Mizuki being ill at ease with Itachi's behavior.

At first Mizuki believed that he would simply rise again and order to continue on, but then he did something unexpected. Itachi once again went searching through his bag until he pulled out two familiar items to Mizuki. "My… shoes?" she questioned softly and shyly as she watched him put them on her feet for her, since she would have found it difficult to do so herself having her hands restrained and not in the least bit of use to her.

"I thought that you might need them," Itachi explained.

There was a softness in his voice at that moment that surprised the captive as she heard it coming from her most hated captor's mouth. It almost sounded like… humanity. "Wait…" Kisame interrupted the moment, "Let me get this straight… You got rid of everything else she had on her… except her shoes?"

"That's right," Itachi confirmed as he slipped the other shoe on.

"And you're only NOW giving them to her?" Kisame questioned, "Why is that?"

"I suppose that it had slipped my mind before."

"What?" Mizuki questioned, her gratitude for him vanishing instantly, "I've been walking around this forest for the last few hours in pain because the fact that you had _kept_ my shoes while you had **gotten rid of** everything else just 'slipped your mind'?"

"It would seem so," he answered as he arose once again and shouldered his pack before turning and continuing on once again, "Let's get going, Kisame-san."

"Right…" the shark man registered as he followed after his superior, giving the rope in his hand a tug and pulling Mizuki to her comforted, yet still sore feet.


	4. Chapter Four:Risks, Rewards, & Reactions

**Dulcet: **Don't even have to say it...

**I love reviews, whether they are full of praise or helpful criticism!**

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**Chapter Four: Risks, Rewards, and Strange Reactions**

"Are you alright, missy?" Kisame questioned when he was finally not able to stand Mizuki's weary expression any longer. The concern brought up in him was almost the equivalent to a regular person with such feelings watching a poor, sick animal slowly dying and giving up on life. But Kisame had seen it occur many, many times before in human cases when captured prisoners lost hope of escaping and seemed to die spiritually. That was what seemed to happen with Mizuki right then. It was strange, though. Usually it took weeks, months, sometimes even years to take this strong of effect. The Hizoku princess had only been under their captivity for a few days.

Slowly she lifted her melancholy eyes to look up at him… That's when he saw it: without a doubt, she was dying. "I need to get these ropes off," she told him as she limply raised her hands that had not been released since the moment Itachi had first bound them, "I need freedom from them."

"Out of the question," Itachi denied her a little too hastily, even though he was probably the one out of the two present Akatsuki members who most wanted to cut them, "We can't risk your pulling something on us."

Without even so much as a sigh, Mizuki stared at him for a moment, and then once again lowered her eyes, not even attempting to argue. Kisame bit his lip at this response. Where had that temper from that first meeting gone to? That fighting spirit? That flaming hatred? What had happened to it? It seemed to have died off so quickly… too quickly, in fact. "C'mon, Itachi-san," Kisame urged as his teammate nonchalantly took a drink from his water flask, "Couldn't we just take them off until we go to sleep? It won't be long and it's driving me crazy how pathetic she's acting!"

Itachi drew the mouth of the container away from his lips and then wiped away the excess with the back of his hand, his eyebrow raised distrustfully and suspiciously at his partner. "What?" Kisame questioned in an annoyed tone, "What's that look for?"

"Usually, you get your kicks out of someone else's pain and suffering... So I was just asking myself if it was irritation that bothering you…" Itachi explained, "… or if it was sympathy."

"Sympathy?" Kisame repeated, "Hah! You of all people should know that I am beyond such a useless emotion."

"And I also know that such a trivial thing as this would not bother you," Itachi pointed out, "The only things that could ever get on your nerves are if something either stands in your way of achieving a goal, or if you are denied any of your desires. So that's what brought me to ponder your motivation for wanting to cut her bonds."

The conversation suddenly caught the third person's attention, causing her to slowly lift her head in interest as she heard that one of the two was actually fighting to defend her request. "Who are you to say what can and can't get on my nerves?" Kisame retorted, "If I say that her mopey attitude bothers me, shouldn't that be enough?"

And with that said he went over to where Mizuki sat away from the campfire and kneeled down in front of her, taking her hands in one of his own. This action began to bring life back into those blue eyes of the girl, her hopes seeming to finally be coming true as he drew a knife from his boot. "Kisame-san… don't you dare…" Itachi warned from the other side of the camp.

Kisame only ignored the threats. Instead, he looked directly into Mizuki's eyes which caused her to look up and stare back at him. "If I cut these, will you promise not to run away from us?" he asked her, "Because you know if you do, the consequences will only turn worse when we catch you than they would have been if you had stayed."

And so she nodded, her expression taking on the classification of shocked as her heart raced with excitement at what was finally happening. "Kisame-san!" Itachi yelled as he began to make his way over.

But before he could reach the pair to stop his partner, Kisame easily slit the rope, causing the remnants to fall to the ground and making Itachi stop cold in his tracks, horror-struck at what Kisame had just done.

Mizuki's hands came apart suddenly as they were finally freed. And with the lack of restrictions of her hands came also the freedom of her heart as a weight was suddenly lifted, though it suddenly seemed to stop in her chest. Slowly she raised her hands in front of her face, marveling at the space that was now allowed between them. Then slowly she got to her feet, allowing her gaze to go from hand to hand, then down to Kisame, then over to Itachi. Here her look lingered as she frowned over at him, then let her eyes look upward momentarily before she jumped into one of the branches of the great tree behind her, ascending out of sight. "Now look what you've done!" Itachi growled before going after her, only losing sight of her from time to time as she went higher and higher still.

It bothered him that for a princess she certainly knew how to climb a tree efficiently. In fact, what he saw of her movements seemed so effortless while he himself wouldn't have been able to go up nearly as quickly if he hadn't had her to guide his next few moves. Then suddenly Mizuki was lost and out of sight. Itachi became very worried at this, fearing that she had possibly lost him. However, once he had reached the top branches of the tree, he realized that it was tall enough to be in the emergent layer of the forest, which was above the majority of other trees.

And there Mizuki was, simply standing on the branch with her hand lightly touching the trunk of the great plant as she gaped out onto the horizon, her lips only parted slightly as her jaw was slack. "What do you think you are doing?" Itachi demanded as he came to the same level, "Why on earth did you run away like that?"

Mizuki didn't so much as glance at him though. Nor did she immediately answer his questions. That's when the Uchiha member first noticed the bliss and awe that was occupied in her eyes. What was causing that? And so he looked in the same direction that she was, hoping to see something that might have been some significance… unfortunately he saw nothing. There was only the forest covered in nighttime darkness in the space beyond them. "It's beautiful isn't it?" she commented as she continued to gaze out, "It seems like an eternity since I've seen it quite like this…"

Confused, Itachi once again looked out at the scenery and seemed to finally understand what she was so deeply concerned about. Yet, he still couldn't see why she would be so amazed by it. "The moon?" he inquired, "I see nothing so spectacular about it."

"Are you kidding?" Mizuki asked as she finally turned to look at him, "Look at the size of it tonight! I haven't seen it this close in years! What are even more surprising are the stars… You can see so many so clearly even with the light of the moon being so bright…"

She then turned her attention back to the sky, sighing in content at its wonder. And in that moment Itachi saw a hint of something that he had yet to see since kidnapping her: she almost seemed happy. The way her eyes smiled was so peaceful and heart-warming, even to this murderous fiend on this most chilly of nights. The affect of those orbs was so powerful, in fact, that Itachi found himself taking a step closer to her as he felt like he was being drawn and pulled in…

That was when Kisame appeared, causing him to step back in surprise at the interruption. "There you two are!" he sighed with relief, "So what's the deal? Why'd you run up here in such a rush?"

"I had to see the sky," she answered him, "I've missed it after being under all of these trees."

"So you're saying that you're not accustomed to being sheltered under trees like this?" Kisame ventured, even though Itachi could easily recognize the question as an inconspicuous way to interrogate her about the whereabouts of her home.

Unfortunately for them, Mizuki noticed it as well. "I didn't necessarily mean that," she dodged, "I just meant that being derived of _the chance_ was killing me. That was one of the reasons that I wanted to be free of those ropes in the first place."

"I see…" Kisame replied as he kept the disappointment that was so apparent on his face out of his voice as he spoke.

A short pause followed the comment. "Are you planning on staying up here much longer?" Kisame asked, wanting to get back down to camp and settle down again.

"I'll only be another moment or two…" Mizuki answered as she continued to stare at the heavenly bodies above. Itachi looked up too. He could never quite understand what was so special about the nighttime sky. It was just a big round rock with a few glowing dots… nothing to get excited over. Then he sighed with boredom as he looked back over to Mizuki as she still seemed to be captivated by these pointless figures. Then he noticed something very interesting about her that he had not taken into account before now… She was beautiful.

Yes… He hadn't noticed it before, but now he found it to be quite true. She was most beautiful, especially in the light of this bright full moon and beneath all of these stars, with her eyes sparkling with something that seemed close to happiness. Actually, the spell that she cast upon him seemed to be as effective on him as the current sky was to her, which was almost frightening to Itachi. But the spell was luckily broken as Mizuki moved, looking away once again and a sort of regret settling over her features as she accepted what she was about to say. "Okay," she announced, "We can go back now."

Neither of the men said anything though. Instead they waited for Mizuki to begin the descent, which she did only moments after making the announcement. Kisame went after her, followed closely by Itachi as they went down back towards the ground.

Upon reaching solid earth again, the two Akatsuki members found Mizuki waiting for them, her hands held behind her back with her head lowered in a manner that reminded Itachi of the child that he had once known her to be years ago. "Kisame-san…" she called, surprising the other two as they heard the honorific, "Come here please."

With only a moment's pause, the shark slowly made his way forward, curiosity outweighing any suspicion he had as he approached her with careful steps. Normally Itachi too would have been on his guard if he had not also been mildly intrigued.

Upon reaching an arm's distance of her, Kisame stopped and waited to discover the reason he had been summoned. This proximity still did not seem to satisfy Mizuki though, for with a crook of her finger she beckoned him to bend down closer to her, him being almost a head taller than herself.

This too he did, leaning in as if to hear a secret that no one else would be able to know. A secret, however, was not what he was rewarded with. Instead he received the shock of the century as Mizuki lightly pressed her lips against his cheek, causing him to instantly stand up straight again to stare down at a blushing girl. "Thank you very much, Kisame-san," she told him as she bent in a bow of gratitude, "You have no idea how much that meant to me."

Neither men could comprehend these words right away though, both taken aback by the action that the princess had just taken to thank the older partner's kindness. But what appalled Itachi even more than his teammate getting a kiss from their captive was the fact that a small smile slowly crept onto Kisame's face as he began to rub the back of his head in modesty and embarrassment. They were both acting like mere children! "Don't mention it," he told her as he was now smiling dumbly, a look that did not suit him in Itachi's eyes which were now glaring fiercely at the blue man.

But why was Itachi getting so angry at the token of thanks? When had Kisame's behavior or rewards become his concern? And what was this twisting feeling inside of him that made him want to rush up and punch that triumphant and cheery smile right off that shark's face for simply receiving the gesture? At this, he stopped and checked himself. Was he angry that Kisame had received a kiss at all, or was he angry that Kisame had received it while he himself had not?


	5. Chapter Five: Nightmare

**Dulcet:** Sorry this one took so long! You have no idea how many different ideas I had in store for Chapter Five... but I finally chose this one!

Also, everyone knows how much I love reviews... so

**I've decided to start a contest!**

The one to get the most reviews by the end of the story wins!

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**!IMPORTANT INFO UP THERE! **

**Chapter Five: Nightmare **

Dreams had always been sacred to Mizuki, ever since she was little when her mother had taught her the power they had to teach her things. But dreams about her past were doubly precious to her, especially long forgotten memories. They were also some of her least favorite, for when she awoke, like before she had gone to sleep, they would be a blur once more. She still considered herself lucky though, that she was able to relive their ambiance again... sometimes. Tonight was not one of those nights. Tonight, she was revisiting a living nightmare.

A beautiful woman with dark and shining green hair stood bound to a post as she glared at the execution officials, her eyes proud and unafraid as rain poured over her lily-white features. An official called out words that were meaningless to a girl of twelve, who was watching helplessly as she struggled against the two strong arms that held her back. "Please!" she screamed, though no one seemed to hear her begging, "I have to go to her! I have to save her!"

"Mizuki-chan..." the man that held her whispered sympathetically, "You can't help her."

"No! I can! I **can**! I **must**!"

"Mizuki-chan!" the voice cried as the arms tightened around their prisoner, not in struggle or for better restraint, but in a trembling embrace that tried to comfort the girl that was now bawling into his shoulder, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry!"

"Don't let them do this, brother..." she said between sobs, "Don't let them... take her!"

"I have to... we all do," he explained as the proud warrior also secretly began to weep, the tears that fell from his brown eyes masked by the water that was pouring down his handsome features that he had to train not to portray the sadness he felt for the child that he held in his arms, "Please, stop crying, Mizuki-chan. She doesn't want you to cry because of her."

Then another woman approached them, carrying an umbrella to keep herself dry. She seemed cold and emotionless, even as she stared at the heart-wrenching sight before her. Then she went to the siblings and rested a hand on the girl's wet black hair. "Peace, child," she told her, "Peace."

And just like that, Mizuki was able to begin to calm herself as she felt the woman's love in her touch and in her words that easily soothed the child's distress. It seemed to be the first time that anyone had even paid the brother and sister any heed that night. Mizuki noticed this as she looked around and saw that everyone had not given them so much as a glance as they so grimly looked on to the event before them. Mizuki's eyes wandered around and instantly spotted a man with a long black braid and hard brown eyes as he too listened to the ceremony. _'No one else is crying...' _Mizuki thought to herself with shock, _'Not even him...'_

Then suddenly a single noise that was so distinct in the pounding of the rain reached Mizuki's ears. She heard the arrows being taken from their owners' quivers and being loaded into their bows, the instruments creaking as they were pulled taut. "Ready..." the official called, "...Aim..."

_'No!'_ Mizuki thought as she heard these words, surprised when the next one didn't come. So she turned to look at the clearing where the woman and the executioners stood. It was certainly a perfect picture of depression: several men stood with bows taut and poised, their commander looking to his own superior as he awaited the order. And so the man with the black braid and emotionless eyes raised his hand; at the end of a bent elbow, his two first fingers slackly pointing upward. And so, like a sword bringing death itself to the accused, he let his arm drop, pointing towards the clearing where the procession was being taken out. This was the final signal. "Fire!"

"No!" Mizuki cried as she heard bowstrings whip and arrows fly, followed by one single quick and piercing cry that escaped the woman's mouth as Mizuki imagined her body tensing on the other side of her flinching eyes. And just like that, in that one moment, she was dead, her body limp and lifeless where it was tied to the post. And like the blood that was leaking through her white dress, Mizuki's eyes leaked tears once again as she saw the too fresh corpse. A single name welled up inside of her, wanting to come out and call back the woman that had just departed them so quickly. So much in fact that when the name came out, it was released in a loud, shrill, mournful scream: "Mother!"

"Mother!" Mizuki cried as she opened her eyes and bolted up in place, surprised and shocked to find that she was no longer in the rain and that the only thing that was causing her drenched state was simply the cold sweat that had formed during the course of the dream. What were real, though, were those drying tears that were lining her cheeks and those that were still freely falling down her face as she panted heavily from having to have been thrown back into the present.

Then she finally noticed him. Uchiha Itachi was sitting right next to her, staring at her with an expression that she could not accurately describe, even though it portrayed exactly what he was thinking; the same sort of surprise and shock that Mizuki herself was engulfed in. "I'm sorry," she told him as she wiped away the streams of water from her face, "Did I wake you?"

"No..." he answered with bewilderment, "I've... been up all night. I noticed you were having a nightmare, so I woke you."

"Oh..." Mizuki replied as she looked over at him and tried to smile, "Thank you... What about Kisame-san? Did I wake him?"

"No, you didn't. Kisame-san will sleep through anything."

There was an awkward pause following this.

"May I ask what was so horrible about it?"

"No," Mizuki shook her head, "No. It's my problem. It's... personal..."

And just like that, the waterworks started up again, causing Mizuki to turn away from him in a poor attempt to hide her weakness from him. Unsure of what to do, Itachi could only sit and stare those first few moments. Then, in an awkward attempt to comfort her he placed a hand on her back and let it lie there. This attempt was responded to by Mizuki suddenly throwing her arms around Itachi as she accepted and desperately clung to this small form of comfort. At first, Itachi was taken a bit aback by the fact that he now had a crying girl on his shoulder, looking for comfort in such an unlikely place. Fortunately, after having gotten over the shock, he was able to return the embrace, holding her protectively as he soothingly stroked her hair and let her go on crying. Of course, he had no idea what to say, not knowing what the problem truly was, but the silence suited both just fine. Mizuki only wanted someone to put forth the effort to soothe her and let her know that they cared enough to _want _her to stop crying. Itachi was happy to be that person, for he just as desperately wanted not only to wipe away her tears as he wanted to stop them altogether. It nearly tore him down to see Mizuki weep like this. In his very first memory of her she had been crying, but she'd been a child then. Now she was nearly a woman and much, much stronger than before. There had been so many other times during these past few days when she should have cried, but didn't. Now it was simply heart breaking to know that he -Uchiha Itachi, strongest of his clan, and nearly invincible- could not help the one and only girl that he had ever wanted to hold like this since the first day they'd met years ago.

Of course, this wasn't exactly how he wanted to hold her. Throughout their years apart, he had dreampt of taking her into his arms like this for the first time, but he had not wanted her to be crying like this. What was worst of all was that she didn't even seem to remember their days together. But that didn't matter now. He remembered them and she was in his arms now and he was grateful, even though he couldn't stop her weeping. "Everything is fine," he told her in a low tone as he rested his cheek on top of her head, "I'm here with you now."

Then she removed her head from his shoulder into his face. The tears added hundreds of stars into her eyes, but the flow seemed to be lessening now. "Thank you, Itachi-san," she said in a low voice before returning to the full embrace and giving him a squeeze. She settled against his chest and somehow he knew she had no intention of leaving. Not able to deny her at such a fragile time, he simply shifted so he was leaning against the nearby tree. She quickly adjusted to his change and then her breathing pattern steadied. She was asleep and Itachi quickly began to feel the sedating affects of this contagious state.


	6. Chapter Six: Intentions of Another Kind

**Chapter Six: Intentions of Another Kind**

"Itachi-san..." a voice called to him as it tried to pull him out of his slumber, "Itachi-san..."

Slowly Itachi began to come into consciousness, even though his mind somehow was resisting it while the waking world was urging him back. "Itaaaaachi-sa-an... ITACHI-SAN!"

"What?" he asked as his eyes snapped open and he looked around the campground, sitting in the spot against a tree where he had fallen asleep at, seeing that the sun was up and it was already morning, "What is it?"

"I don't know..." Kisame returned with a sort of sarcastic edge in his voice, "Why don't you tell me?" With that, he jerked his head towards the sleeping figure that was snuggly settled on top of Itachi, her head resting peaceably on his chest. Mizuki stirred as Itachi was now moving about slightly in his waking, but she barely did anything else besides that as she stilled once more against him, burying her head in his chest.

"This... isn't what it looks like, Kisame-san," Itachi protested as he gently repositioned Mizuki so that she was now away from him and comfortably on the ground. She curled up at the loss of warmth, which Itachi felt too but he did his best to ignore it. He removed his cloak and draped it over Mizuki's figure so the change in temperature wouldn't waked her to such heated tensions.

"Really now?" Kisame asked with his hands on his hips as he glared down at his partner, "Itachi-san... can I talk to you... outside of camp?"

Then he turned and stormed out, heading away from the grounds and into the confinement of the trees. "Kisame-san... Why can't we talk _here_?" Itachi called after him, low enough that he wouldn't wake Mizuki, "It's not like she'll hear you. We don't have to leave."

"Oh, yes we do!" he answered without turning back, "I want to yell at you some."

And so, with a sigh, Itachi rose and followed, stealing one last glance back at Mizuki, hoping that she wouldn't wake before they returned for fear that she might try and run away. It was actually very risky leaving her in the first place, but Kisame apparently felt it appropriate to take it in order to 'talk' to Itachi. "Okay," the Uchiha said as he caught up to the spot where Kisame had stopped, "What is it?"

"What were you thinking?" he shouted, "Out of the two of us, you're supposed to be the emotionless bastard!"

"And what would that make you?"

"I'm the one who actually _enjoys_ being evil. You just do it for personal gain."

"Oh. I never thought of us like that. Interesting."

"ANYWAY!" Kisame went on, "Back to the matters at hand... What was that back there?"

"It was nothing," Itachi replied, seeming a little offended that he was being put on trial like this, "She had a nightmare last night. I comforted her. We fell asleep. End of discussion."

"It'll be the end of discussion when I say it's the end," Kisame corrected, "Now, you weren't supposed to comfort her in the first place! You aren't one to comfort."

"And you aren't one to be touched by another's misery," came the comeback, "Yet you were oh-so eager to have her binds cut."

"That was different!"

"How, Kisame-san?" Itachi grilled, "How was that so different?"

There was a fierce pause between the two as they intensely glared at each other. Each would not forgive the other for their actions; Kisame for Itachi's portrayal of weakness and emotion, Itachi for Kisame's standing in the way of enjoying his own weakness. But finally, the shark of the two sighed, letting down his hatred. "It's not easy to deny those eyes, is it?" he asked as he sat down on a nearby stump and held his face in his hands.

"What do you mean?" Itachi asked as he looked at Kisame from the corner of his eye, even though he knew exactly what he was implying. He too often found himself victim to those eyes, much like he had been the first time Mizuki had smiled at him. The Uchiha only wanted to know what concern it was to his ally.

Then taking his face out of his hands, Kisame looked up at the other man, a smirk on his face. "I'm not sure..." he said as he stared off into space, "In fact, I'm not sure of a lot of things anymore. Mizuki-chan has bewitched me."

Itachi's eyes went wide with horror. There were so many things wrong with that statement. For example, he had not only used Mizuki's first name, but he had also used -chan at the end. Then there was the actual context of what he had shared. The rogue ninja couldn't believe his ears as he stared over at Kisame, almost threatened by what had been said. "What do you mean, Kisame-san?" Itachi interrogated.

"What do I mean?" Kisame repeated as he loosely turned his head towards Itachi, "I mean exactly what I said. Mizuki-chan is the first girl that has ever looked at me without disgust, hatred, or fear. She can look me in the eye and still be able to smile. She even kissed me on the cheek that one time without repulse. What I'm trying to say here is... I want her, Itachi-san. I want her more than I've ever wanted anything else in my entire life."

In that moment, the other man's heart stopped as he heard this confession. Ever since they had met, Itachi knew that he would never love another girl more than he had loved Mizuki those few days in her company as a child. Now, he was not the only one who felt like that. "Kisame-san..." Itachi started as he managed to keep himself under control, "This is a bad idea... And you've only known her for a few days!"

"Hey, I'm not looking for a life partner here," Kisame defended, "She's a pretty girl. I just want a little bit of fun."

"Fun?" Itachi mimicked with a tight jaw, furious with what he was secretly referring to, "You want to have 'fun' with her?"

"Don't give me that look," Kisame insisted, "You can't tell me you haven't thought about it too."

"I haven't," Itachi shot back truthfully.

"Really?... What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with _me_! But I'm wondering about _you_!"

"What do you mean? It's natural that I'd want her. It's in my nature. I'm a guy, after all, which is more than I can say for you."

"**WHAT?**"

"Oh, don't take it like that, Itachi-san," Kisame told him as he wove a hand at him, "I just mean that you're not really even human, so this sort of thing is under you. You should feel complimented."

"I'm leaving," Itachi announced, not wanting to discuss any of this any longer. Speaking of Mizuki in such a way was disgusting him! She was not an object of lust like Kisame thought! In fact, if anything she was far from it. Even now as Itachi reached the campsite to find her curled up, he couldn't help but to think of her as a sleeping angel; a pure and innocent angel. He loved her all the more for that, his heart growing heavy with the burden of his feelings. But with the recent discussion in mind, new thoughts began to spread through his head.

And there it was: the sudden desire to go to her, hold her, kiss her, undress her... Violently shaking his head, Itachi tried to banish these new and impure thoughts away so that the older and more innocent ones could come back. How did they get there? He had never even considered such dishonorable things until Kisame had mentioned them. Kisame... He had planted the ideas! "Damn you, Kisame..." Itachi said through gritted teeth to no one in particular, "You ruin everything!"


	7. Chapter Seven: When She Loved Me

**Chapter Seven: When She Loved Me **

"You should lie down, Itachi-san," Kisame suggested to his friend, "You said that you didn't get any sleep last night… You should turn in early."

"But I should be the one to take watch," Itachi insisted as he held his head, "The trees are getting thicker. It will take sharp eyes to see any approaching threats and my eyes are keener than yours by far."

"Not while you're like this they're not," Kisame argued, "Just lay down and rest for a while. It's almost like you're dysfunctional when you're like this!"

"You really should lie down, Uchiha-san," Mizuki agreed, "You look horrible."

For a moment Itachi could only stare at her with eyes that held red that was not of his natural color, showing his poor state. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt if he could just lie down for a while… And so he went and settled himself near a tree, passing into slumber almost instantly.

-----------------------------------------------

This was becoming quite a bother. Itachi had been searching for hours now and there was still no sign of his quarry. It shouldn't have been so difficult! This was _his_ home! A foreigner should not have been able to sneak around so easily! Then again, this place was becoming just as unfamiliar to him as any other town he had seen lately. Ever since he had become a Chuunin about two years ago, he was always being sent off on missions. And whenever he did come back home, he was always training anyway.

"C'mon give it back!" cried a girl's voice from around the corner that was only replied to with a chorus of laughter. Itachi's ears piqued instantly as he listened in.

"You gotta work for it, girly!" a boy's voice replied, "Come on! Jump for it!"

This could prove worth his while. And so Itachi went to investigate, turning the corner to see a most hopeless sight. A trio of boys, probably a year or two older than himself, was throwing an item back and forth, causing the little girl to chase after it. "Come on, princess," another boy said as he tripped her in mid dash, causing her to go crashing to the ground and dirtying her fine kimono and herself further, "Let's see what you can do without having to rely on your title!"

Slowly the girl arose into a sitting position on the ground, her head bowed in frustration. "I don't rely on my title…" she told them in a choking voice at being reminded of her rank, "My family forces it upon me."

"Oh, boo hoo," the boy who last threw the object commented as she put his hands to his eyes in mock tears, "Your life is so hard because you're the daughter of the clan's leader, getting a free ride for the rest of your life."

"Just give it back!" the girl cried as she jumped from a sitting to standing position, groping for her dear possession.

"You know…" the third boy started as he examined the girl's beloved comb with red and black eyes, "I don't like your kind. You rely on others to get how you are. You steal their secrets and use them in your favor. You're nothing but a skulk of thieving trickster foxes!" With that he spat in her face, causing her to wipe at her eyes and draw back, which encouraged the boys to trip her once again. She fell, wiping away the saliva with the sleeve of her kimono, which was already soiled beyond civility.

"Stop!" Itachi finally intruded, not wanting to watch this scene for one moment longer. Judging by her attire and her treatment, this girl was obviously Hizoku Mizuki, the princess that he had been assigned to retrieve and protect, and if this went on any longer, he would have failed.

"Well look who it is!" the other boy with the Sharingan eyes, who seemed to be the leader, commented, "You're just in time, Itachi-san!"

The young ninja stalked his way over, going to where Mizuki lay helpless on the ground to see if she was hurt in any way. But when taking a closer look, he realized that she wasn't well. She was crying. Regardless, he spoke to her, "Are you okay?"

This new voice caused Mizuki's gaze to snap up to see its source and once she did, the tears seemed to quickly stop as she stared at him in silence. But after receiving no reply from the dazed child, he looked to the others. "What did you think you were doing?" he interrogated as he stood again, staring them all down.

"C'mon, Itachi-san," the leader chided, "She's a Hizoku… and their princess at that! You understand…"

"The Hizoku are no enemies of ours, Kenji," Itachi bit back, "You had no grounds."

"They're not our enemies now, but if we keep on acting so buddy-buddy with them, then they might betray us!"

"Well, if everyone acted towards them as you do to her, then I wouldn't blame them for any such actions. But for now they are our allies and we should treat them as such. Am I understood?"

For a moment, Kenji only glared back at Itachi before almost being forced to answer through a clenched jaw, "Yes."

"Good," Itachi replied, "Now I suggest you give back what rightfully belongs to this girl unless you want this situation to turn uglier than that poor excuse for a face you have."

Another pause of hateful silence before Kenji threw the comb into the dirt near Mizuki, then turned and stalked away. For a moment the young girl only stared at the item, its clean white material seeming out of place in the brown dirt of the street. Itachi too stared at it, wondering what had been so special about it that she would be so distressed at having it taken away. It seemed average enough with fine teeth and a rounded back. Actually, the most spectacular traits that it possessed was that it sparkled with a starlight quality and that it had a delicate rose-like flower carved onto its base. "I really don't see why go through so much trouble for this…" Itachi stated as he crouched down and picked the comb up out of the dirt, dusting it off, and then offering it to the girl.

Mizuki then looked at her trinket, then to Itachi as she went to reach for it. But before she could take the prize back, Itachi took her hand and helped her quickly and easily to her feet. But even then as they were standing back up, Mizuki did not look away from Itachi, nor did she remove her hand from his once she was back on her feet. "Come," he ordered as he placed the comb in her hand and began to go on his way, "Your father is waiting for you."

However, Mizuki's wooden shoes stayed in place for a few more moments as she stood in a daze, watching the boy go off in front of her. And of course Itachi noticed this. So he turned his head to look back at where she still stood several feet behind. "Coming?" he asked impatiently as he turned squarely around to face her.

And after giving an expression that seemed to resemble coming out of a trance, Mizuki smiled at him, her features suddenly becoming very pretty… even in Itachi's cold and emotionless eyes. Then she hurried to where he waited for her. She smiled coyly with a blush on her cheeks as her head was slightly lowered, her hands holding the comb in front of herself. "I… don't even know your name," she finally told him.

"Itachi..." came the cool reply, "Uchiha Itachi."

"And as you already know, I'm Hizoku Mizuki," she returned as she began to straighten, lifting her head and smiling, "I want to thank you for helping me."

"I was only doing my-" he began before was cut off by Mizuki's lips pressing against his, silencing him mid-sentence and also rendering him speechless altogether. However, the unexpectedness of the action caused Itachi to suddenly pulled away from her, staring wide-eyed and surprised as an extremely rare blush came onto his cheeks while Mizuki only smiled back at him with just as much red in her face. "Thank you," she told him, giving him the gratitude that she had offered.

---------------------------------------

Slowly Itachi awoke and escaped this happy recollection only to come back into the harsh reality that made it so Mizuki didn't even remember their first kiss and the spell that it had cast on him. That girl had bewitched him mind, soul, and now body and Itachi knew that there was no turning back. Even worse than that, he also knew that because of his belonging to the Akatsuki and being an infamous enemy throughout the Hizoku tribe, he would never be able to move foreword with their relationship either.

"Hey, sleepy head!" Mizuki greeted once she noticed that her second martial's eyes were open, "Kisame-san and I were just about to go for a swim. Do you want to come?"

"Swimming?" Itachi asked as he glanced about to double check that it was indeed still night, "At this hour?"

"Well, what other time is there?" pointed out Mizuki, "We're always on the move during the day and tonight's as good a night as ever to go!"

In truth, Itachi truly didn't want to go. Swimming had never been a favorite pastime for him. But seeing that excited expression on Kisame's face at going told Itachi that if he didn't accompany them, there would be no chaparone to monitor Kisame's movements concerning Mizuki and his goal involving her. And so Itachi was obliged to nod and stand, following after the other two as they left the camp, all the while contemplating his feelings for Mizuki as well as their current situation.

For whatever reason, Mizuki obviously didn't remember him, and of course, Itachi could never forget her or the time that they had shared together. On top of that, he had to stand by as he watched the love of his life being hunted by a creature of the deep, hoping to prey on her for sport. And since this creature was a friend and ally, he couldn't simply just kill him like he would have done to any other competitor. That would not only be wrong, but in addition he in turn would probably be killed by the Akatsuki for crimes of betrayal. Then what else could he do but sit back and watch as his chance with a life with Mizuki seemed to be slipping away?

He gave a sigh at this thought. Forbidden to move foreword. Forbidden to get closer to her. Forbidden to follow his heart's desire. Forbidden to love her, which was the one thing that he yearned most of all to do.


	8. Chapter Eight: Out For A Swim

**Chapter Eight: Out For a Swim**

Quickly Mizuki sat down on the shore of the lake as she commenced to rip away the black leggings of the pants that she was wearing, converting them into shorts in a mere few seconds. "Mizuki-chan…" Kisame called as he watched her dismember the garments, "What are you doing?"

"Well, I don't have anything that I could wear in the water, so I'm improvising," she replied as she examined the two pieces of cloth that she had torn away, "I'll use these."

"C'mon… we're all good friends here," Kisame grinned as he crouched down beside her, "You don't even have to bother with clothes at all if it means ruining the ones you have now."

Hearing this, Itachi froze in his spot nearby just as he was beginning to remove his shoes, appalled that Kisame would ever act like this to any woman. The fact that he was saying this to such a young and innocent girl such as Mizuki was even worse. Then as Mizuki was preparing to give a reply, he continued the process that had been temporarily halted. "Kisame-san!" Mizuki exclaimed with a frown and a blush, "That was totally-" Then suddenly the shoe that had been recently removed from Itachi's foot went flying at Kisame's head, making instant and painful contact. The blue eyes of the Hizoku travelled over to where Itachi sat, glaring over at his partner. "Stupid," he said as he both insulted the stunned fish and finished Mizuki's sentence with his own ending.

"What was that for?" Kisame yelled as he regained himself, jumping up and shaking a fist at the perpetrator.

"That comment was unacceptable, Kisame-san," Itachi explained indifferently as he removed his other shoe.

"Well I'll just let you two go at it while I go and try to work something out with my limited resources," Mizuki said as she implied the scraps that she held in her hands before going off into the trees.

"Itachi-san…" Kisame groaned once the girl had gone, "What are you doing?"

"What am** I** doing?" Itachi repeated, "What are_** you**_ doing?"

"Well I have to let her know I'm interested before I can make a move!" Kisame replied, "And you are messing things up."

This comment caused Itachi to roll his red eyes. Kisame was already messing things up with statements like that last one. He didn't need Itachi's help in ruining things. That's when a thought came to him. Kisame may not _need_ his help in messing things up, but he was certainly going to _get_ it. "You're right…" he said as he got to his feet and faced the irritated man, "I'm sorry. How about I make it up to you by helping you out?"

"You?" Kisame scoffed, "Help me? What do you know about women?"

"You forget, my dear fishy friend," Itachi smirked, "I don't only know about women, I know about people. I can examine a personality and predict their reaction to most any situation. This job is all the easier for you and I because your little treat has no secrets from me. She opens her innermost mind to us like a book."

"Hey… you're right," Kisame nodded as he recalled her friendly demeanor, "But she hasn't said anything about her romantic interests. What do we do about that?"

"Don't worry. I can just tell," he assured, "Believe me when I say that you're going in the right direction with her. I can already tell that she's interested in you." Ugh! The lie tasted foul on his mouth as he forced himself to say such things, but he had to keep up the charade if he was to trick his partner.

"Really?"

"Really," Itachi confirmed, "You're just her type. She wants someone big and strong to want her. Someone assertive and very forward about what he wants… especially if he wants her."

"That's me down to a 'T'!" Kisame grinned.

"Exactly!" Itachi replied with a scheming grin, finding it all too easy to make a fool out of Kisame, "So keep doing what you are and the next thing you know she'll be wanting you more than flowers want rain."

"Ooh… I like the sound of that!" Kisame laughed as he began to ready himself for the swim, removing his shirt to reveal his brutish body.

Then once again Itachi had to turn around to roll his eyes. This was far… far too easy. Kisame truly had a one track mind when it came to women. "Hey! Aren't you guys ready yet?" Mizuki called as she came back into view, causing both men to turn and look at her to behold a sight that was jaw dropping for both of them. As Itachi looked at her form, he could only hope that the water in that lake was cold enough to distract him from her and any inconvenient thoughts.

The fact that she was holding her arm nervously showed that she felt a little uncomfortable with her attire, even though she tried to smile and hide it. She had taken the two strips and tried to use them the best she could as swimwear. One had been cleverly wrapped around lower parts and tied at the back so they almost looked like regular underwear. The top had been styled a little differently than what the average girl would wear, though. Mizuki had taken the second piece of cloth and wrapped it around her top so that it collected and covered her chest, and the knot somehow having been managed to be tied at the back.

She stood nervously looking at the ground while the other two stared at her, hoping that one of them would say something. "Oh… right," Kisame commented as he was able to tear his gaze away and begin to remove his pants to reveal boxer shorts underneath, "Let's get going then."

"Right!" Mizuki nodded just before Kisame rushed over to her and picked her up bridal style. "Kisame-san!" she exclaimed with surprise and a smile, "What are you-?"

But before she knew it, he was going into the water. "Kisame-san… what are you going to-" but before she could finish the sentence, Kisame smiled at her and explained. "I'll drop you," he teased as he held her above the water that he stood thigh deep in.

"Kisame-san!" she squealed as she clung her arms around his neck, not wanting to be dropped, "Don't!"

"Give me a kiss," he told her as he leaned in a little closer towards her, a cynical smile on his face.

And Mizuki willingly did so, putting her lips to his cheek just as she had once before. "Sorry," he grinned, "Not what I was lookin' for. You can pay me back later." And with that he let her fall into the water with only enough time for a scream to escape her lips before she was submerged beneath the surface of the vast lake. "Kisame!" Itachi shouted in fury at the fish, who only looked back innocently.

But before Itachi could properly yell or receive a reply, Mizuki came back up with her black hair soaked and slicked back so that they could better see her furious expression. Then something spectacular happened: She smiled and began to laugh. "Kisame-san!" she chuckled, "That was mean! But I have to admit it was better than having to slowly adjust to the water."

"Exactly!" Kisame agreed as he began to head over to depths, diving under and out of sight into the dark waters.

Then Mizuki turned and set her sights on Itachi, who still stood on land, still mostly dressed and dry. "Well c'mon!" she called over to him, "No sense in you missing the fun!"

Itachi didn't seem too excited though as he slowly took off his shirt and tossed it aside, pausing a moment as he stared back at Mizuki. Her breath caught in her throat as she gaped at his shirtless form, a fact suddenly dawning on her: He not just a captor, but a man. A strong, young, red-blooded man… and she was a woman. "Hurry up," she called in a slightly quieter tone as she tried to get over the shock of this realization, then she turned and pushed off and into the water. _'Oh please help this chilly water keep me under control,'_ she thought to herself as she swam further and further away from the shore upon which she had escaped Itachi. What was this twisting feeling in her heart? And what about this fluttering feeling in her stomach? Why did the heat on her skin persist, even under the water?

Mizuki stopped to look back at Itachi, who was surprisingly still standing at the shoreline, now a dot as he crouched down. She sighed and then raced over to him, righting herself in the water to look at him. "Something that matter?" she questioned.

"I was never too fond of swimming… or cold water…" he told her as he stood, seeming to be glaring at the lake's liquid as if he hated the substance as he would a person.

"Here," she said as she came towards him, gradually coming out of the water, "Take my hand."

"What?" he asked in confusion, but before he could object, that gentle and enthralling touch came in contact with his hand, controlling his footsteps as he walked into the water. "It's cold!" he complained as he came waist deep and began to rub his arms, "I'll just stay here for a bit longer and adjust for a few minutes."

"It's best if you just get it all over with and go in," Mizuki told him right before splashing him with a wave of water, then darting off.

Immediately Itachi began his pursuit, swimming after her as he planned on his revenge. Then he caught up with her, snatching her into his arms and pulling her under with him momentarily before coming back up. And so it began. Mizuki splashed him once more, which Itachi returned. The two continued to splatter each other with water, both –yes **both**– laughing as they did so. That is until Itachi finally decided to end it, turning her around and grabbing Mizuki around her middle and effectively restraining her arms to stop her as he tried to settle himself. "Uchiha-san..." she smiled once they'd settled, "I don't think that I've ever seen you smile like that. It almost makes you seem… human."

"Is that bad?" he asked with a smirk that was more appropriate for him, releasing her and allowing to turn back to him.

"No…" Mizuki answered as she suddenly became aware of so many things, like the way he was looking at her with that handsome smirk, "No… I like it." That expression jumpstarted her heart, making the water around her seem nonexistent as not even it was able to keep her body from warming to the point of wanting to melt. And his touch as his hands still remained on her bare shoulders! The unfamiliar sensation of having a man touch her like that was absolutely divine! And the fact that Itachi's own stare was now intensifying as his smirk faded, his eyes filling with an emotion that Mizuki could not recall ever seeing, yet still seemed so familiar somehow, like she'd known him for years. "You're warm…" he said in a low tone as he ran his hands up and down her arms, causing Mizuki's heart to pulse and pound. The contact was nothing but stimulating to Mizuki as her emotions shut down her common sense and her body took on a mind of its own, her hands rising to settle on his chest.

Then slowly, steadily Itachi began to lean in towards her, his expression being enough to convince Mizuki to willingly let him continue with what he intended… It even made her want him to do so. And so she closed her eyes and started moving towards him as well, slowly and shyly as she inched forward.

And just like that, everything was ruined as something grabbed Itachi's ankle and pulled him down, only temporarily taking Mizuki down along with them as Itachi quickly let go of her allowing her to recover back to the surface.

Itachi, however, was not able to go back up right away as Kisame kept him under as he violently struggled for a few moments, only to find it useless to fight the shark in his element. Besides… it didn't seem that the blue man meant him any harm. And so he looked to Kisame, only to see him shooting a glare of warning about his actions before letting him go and shooting back to the surface with inhuman speed, leaving Itachi behind in moments. It was all he could do for those few moments as he stared up at the two figures in the distance above him. Suddenly he became aware of how cold the water really was. Maybe he should just stay down there… Then he saw Kisame move towards Mizuki, grabbing her hips and bringing her to him in a fashion so aggressive it sent anger pulsing through his veins.

Rage and jealousy flooded through Itachi's body as he hurried back to the surface, breaking out of the water just in time to see Kisame force his lips onto Mizuki's, stealing a kiss as quickly as he would steal a life. But after a moment, thankfully for Itachi, Mizuki pulled away in shock. "Kisame-san…" she said with a blush.

He only smiled back at her. "I told you that I'd get my payment," he told her before drifting away again. It was silent again for a moment before yet another ingenious idea popped into Itachi's head. "Hey, Kisame-san... What do you say to going back to the camp and getting dinner ready so that she and I can stay here and swim a bit longer?" Itachi suggested.

"Ooh! That would be great!" Mizuki went along, taking this as a change of subject, "Then we could come back to a nice warm meal!"

"You'd like that then?" Kisame asked, wanting so badly to please the girl.

"Oh, yes! Very much."

"Then I'll be off," he told them as he slowly began to drift backwards towards shore, "It shouldn't take long though."

"Fine then," Itachi confirmed a little eager to get the shark gone, "Hurry up. We'll be hungry soon."

"I really appreciate it, Kisame-san," Mizuki told him, "It's sweet of you."

Kisame paused right where he was as he let that word settle in. Sweet? He smiled triumphantly at hearing that. "It's nothing," he replied, "But I'll come get you when it's done. I want to surprise you, Mizuki-chan." Then he sent a quick glance over at Itachi before turning and darting off to head back to camp as he walked back to camp with a spring in his step. Finally he was gone!

"Are you still cold?" Mizuki's voice sounded as Itachi looked back over to her. He only nodded in answer.

"Then maybe we should get back to shore and see if we can warm you back up," she smiled coyly before turning and beginning her path back to land. Itachi stared dumbly after her for a moment. What did she mean by that? Well… whatever she was suggesting, it was better than staying out there in the water. And so he followed after her, eager to get out of this lake and back to land where Mizuki was waiting for him.


	9. Chapter Nine: Forbidden Memories

**Chapter Nine: Forbidden Memories **

The crackling of the fire and the gentle waves of the lake's shore were the only sounds that reached Itachi's ears as he waited with Mizuki for word from Kisame about dinner. It had only been about half an hour or so, but it still seemed like an awfully long time to take for such a trivial chore. What could he possibly be doing?

Itachi looked down the shore at Mizuki where she sat on a small hill, looking up at the stars like she did every night. That girl loved those stars. But even with some of the few yet important things that Itachi knew about her, he still couldn't configure the most important thing in her life. What was so special about these stars that gave her such joy?

Then again, no one really knew. Mizuki was the only one that could ever understand her own love for the sky. It was the only thing that she could always depend on for comfort. Whenever she was under the night sky, all she had to do was close her eyes and she would still hear that sweet, loving voice…

"Mizuki-chan… Mizuki-chan… Look!" the woman that held the young girl in her arms told her, "Do you see those two stars and how brightly they shine? Those represent two lovers. And you see those smaller stars that form a line between them? Do you see how one is missing in the middle making their connection incomplete? That is the constellation of the Star-Crossed Lovers."

"Why didn't Daddy teach me that one?" Mizuki asked as her large eyes looked around to see her mother, only to end up gazing into two blue orbs like her own, "He taught me all the other constellations."

"Daddy doesn't know about this one," her mother whispered, "No one does. Its existence, like many other secret star formations, has been passed down from generation to generation in my clan. From mother to daughter. So you can't tell anyone, alright honey? It'll be our little secret."

"Okay!" Mizuki smiled, one of her baby teeth missing from her grin, "Mommy… point to my star again."

"I think you know where it is by now…" her mother chided to her, "You show me and make me proud."

"Umm… That one!" And she pointed to the one star that she had always been able to pick out from all the rest, no matter what land she was in or how bright the sky was on any particular night.

"That's right! That's your star," her mother smiled, "The night that you were born, that star began to shine brighter than ever. You are the night, Mizuki. So whenever you feel weak or downhearted, look to the sky and remember that you are strong and that the stars will always be watching over you to protect you when no one else is here to."

"Like when you go with Daddy and big brother to some village…" Mizuki said in a sad tone.

"Yes. Like when I go with Daddy and big brother to some village…"

"Mommy… do you have to go tomorrow?"

"Yes. You know how those boys can get if there's not a woman there to keep them in line," she kidded as she lightened the mood, always knowing how to make her daughter smile.

"Maybe one day when I'm big, I can go with you!" Mizuki suggested, "Then I can see the world!"

"Hmm… That's not a bad idea," her mother commented, "How would you like to go with us on a trip?"

The little girl's eyes lit up with great glee at hearing this. "You mean the one tomorrow?" she asked.

"No… That one isn't suitable for you," her mother denied, "But maybe some other time."

"I'd like that very much, Mommy!"

"Good," her mother smiled with a beauty that had always been the envy of all women and the treasured by all men, "I'll see what I can do."

Mizuki too smiled, though her grin was much larger and far more childish than the reserved one of her parent. "Mommy…" she said as she leaned back to rest upon her mother's bosom, "I love you…"

"I love you too, my dearest Mizuki-chan."

Now the real Mizuki opened her eyes at the end of the memory, recalling the fact that her mother had indeed tried her best to keep that promise, but it had been a hard one to fulfill. Many villages that her older family members went to were untrustworthy or violent. It was no place for a young girl like Mizuki had been. Five years it had taken for her mother to fulfill her promise to her daughter. A year later after that she was brought to meet the Uchiha Clan, which she remembered very little of, except that there had been someone there –a boy– who had been her first crush. What often troubled Mizuki though was that she remembered almost everything they had said and done, yet his face and name had been lost to her. But this loss was nothing compared to the one that she suffered only a year after meeting him. This had been a little bit after she had turned twelve. The loss of a parent is the worst thing that she had ever experienced. What was worse was that Mizuki still did not know why her mother was taken from her in the first place… No one would ever tell her or speak of it and the memory had been so tramatic that it had drowned out many other details, like the boy's face and name.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she returned her gaze to the heavens and found her star, not being able to help but smile. Then she turned to the moon. None of her loved ones were looking up at it tonight. She could tell. She could always tell if they were.

Suddenly she felt a warm cloth being placed over her shoulders and wrapped around her slight form which she had not yet covered with a shirt, though she had put on her newly formed shorts. Mizuki looked to see Itachi with his usual composure as she sat down next to her. "It's getting colder," he told her after becoming settled as if he owed her an explanation for bringing the fire-warmed cloak.

"Thank you…" Mizuki replied as she pulled it around herself, "But you don't have to stay with me. You told me that you don't like the cold. You can go back over to the fire if you would like."

No response came for that. Itachi simply stayed in place as he too stared up at the constellations above, not being able to recognize or name very many. "Nice turnout tonight…" Itachi commented, "It's nights like this that I can see so many things clearly that I wouldn't be able to otherwise…"

"Like what?" Mizuki asked feeling a little baffled at the statement.

"Usually I can see things like… the Lunar Rose," he told her, suddenly causing a bell to go off in her head as another memory came flooding back to her.

"The Lunar Rose?" the twelve-year-old Uchiha boy had asked, "What might that be?"

"It's what this flower on my comb represents," Mizuki explained as they sat beneath the cherry tree that was now in bloom, "The Lunar Rose is named for its moon-like qualities. For example, it is said to glow with the illumination of the moon and the sparkling of the stars. What's even more impressive is that it feeds off of moonlight!"

"Moonlight?"

"Yes, moonlight!" Mizuki went on, "It can live forever with nothing but moonlight."

"If this flower is so great, why have I never seen or heard of one before?" the older boy asked the girl of eleven.

"Because it's so hard to get," Mizuki explained, "The Lunar Rose grows high up on a mountain where it can best absorb the moon's power every night. Almost no one has been able to climb any mountain with them on it to get one and live to talk about it."

"Wow… so would you want one of those then?" the boy questioned.

"More than anything!"

"Would you die for it?"

"To see it once… maybe."

"Would you kill?"

"Depending on who it is…"

"Would you give your heart away?"

"Before it could give two beats!"

"In that case…" the boy said as he knelt beside her and took her hand in his, "Hizoku Mizuki-chan… On my life I promise to go retrieve such a flower for you to prove my devotions to you."

"B-but… you don't have to do that!" Mizuki objected, "I'd rather have you here loving me than have you dying for my love… which you already have."

"Nevertheless… I love you enough to want to do this for you."

A faint blush came to Mizuki's cheeks as she sat under the stars, suddenly remembering this happening. What naive fools they had been in those days! What was strange though was that his face and name was suddenly coming back to her… She could now remember when they had first met!

'I don't even know your name…' she'd said.

His voice changed to the way it had been. 'Uchiha… Uchiha Itachi.' She saw his face.

That was right! It had been him! Uchiha Itachi was the first boy she had ever-

Wait… slowly she looked over to the man sitting next to her, who was now fully clothed and dry. They couldn't be the same person. There must have been a mistake of some sort… "Uchiha-san… Do you or did you ever have someone special to look up at the stars with?" she asked in a soft tone.

"Someone special?" he repeated as he temporarily looked away from the lights above to glance over at Mizuki, "I used to… but I'm sure that she's long forgotten about me."

"Why do you say that?"

"We were quite young when we looked at the stars together…" he told her, "And we had very little time to spend with one another. Besides, it's been five years. I highly doubt that she would remember me."

"But I do…" Mizuki thought, accidentally saying it out loud.

And though she had been soft-spoken in saying it, the statement was still heard. "Excuse me?" Itachi asked as a wave of shock swept over him.

"I remember now," she told him as she leaned on his shoulder, "We spent a week or so in springtime together."

"You… remember?" Itachi repeated, still not able to get over that simple fact.

Lifting her head again, she looked up at him with eyes that told Itachi that she meant what she was saying. But she didn't reply with words. Instead she simply leaned in and finally gave him that kiss that he had been waiting for and craving. But it was a quick and gentle one; one that Mizuki pulled away from after a few moments' pause. That's when Itachi felt that well of hidden and restrained emotions all being let out, bursting out of him as if it were a stampede. So with these overwhelming feelings, he was convinced to throw caution to the wind and plant the more passionate lip lock on Mizuki that he had been so tempted to give.

At first Mizuki was surprised by Itachi's reaction, but then the warmth in her chest distracted her and all state of mind seemed to vanish. Now her heart was beating wildly in her chest at the experience. What was going on? What was so different about this kiss that set it apart from the few others that they had shared in the past? Why did it feel so good? Then carefully she brought herself around him so that she was in front of him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she straddled his lap, deepening the kiss as he slowly leaned back, bringing them both to a lying position on the ground.

Then before Mizuki knew it Itachi was rolling over so that now he was on top of her, slowly pulling away to look down at her breathless expression. But after a mere few seconds, Itachi returned his mouth to her, but not to place on her lips. Instead he slipped his hand beneath the collar of the cloak that now barely hung on to her body, brushing it aside as he caressed her warm skin and placed his lips on the arch of her neck.

It was only an instant that Mizuki even felt the cool air on her skin, for almost immediately after removing the covering, Itachi let himself down on her so that he could serve as her new shelter against the cold instead. That combined with the reaction Itachi was getting out of her easily kept Mizuki's body warm as she basically radiated heat. How was it that he could so easily make her want to…

Just then Mizuki let out a moan as Itachi's actions at her neck seemed to become more urgent than before and she soon discovered why. Itachi, like Mizuki herself, was quickly crossing the line that separated the feelings that that they might have felt as children and the feelings that they now felt as two heartsick lovers. She could tell he was crossing because Mizuki was surely beginning to feel Itachi's desire radiating from his body like tangible heat.

Then gradually Mizuki's hands found their way to Itachi's head, cradling it as she tensed at these new and uncontrollable sensations. That is, she thought that they were uncontrollable. Unfortunately she was proven wrong when she turned her head to the side, seeing something that made her stomach drop and her heart to stop. "Itachi-san… Itachi-san…" she whispered as she tried to pull away from him and stop his actions, "Itachi-san, stop it."

Regretfully he obeyed, taking away his mouth but not fully pulling away from her. "What is it?" he asked as he nudged his head against the long of her neck.

"Look," Mizuki replied with a jerk of her head in the direction in which she was referring, "Someone is… here."

"What?" Itachi asked as he sat up and allowed his eyes to dart around in search for another person, which he did not find. Instead, he saw something much different that conspicuously implied another presence: a kunai knife was lodged in a nearby log, warning the couple that someone had seen them and to desist their actions. This subtle message brought all of Itachi's senses back and he immediately removed himself from Mizuki, stood up and turned his back on her. The only thing he was able to do was to keep his red eyes to the ground, unable to look at her or the throwing knife in the log.

"Oh my gods…" Mizuki blushed as she seemed to shrink away from Itachi, suddenly realizing how shameful and unrestrained her behavior had just been. Why had she been so ready to give into the temptation? Perhaps it was because that was the first time that she had wanted a man as much as he had wanted her... But judging my Itachi's reaction it would seem that he might have been a little more eager than her. To even feel such a thing, though, especially with someone like Itachi was... horribly and dishonorably unspeakable! Unfortunately, what was done was done and neither could ever take those moments back.

"We should be going back now," Itachi suggested in a low tone, trying to the break the silence between them.

"Yes…" Mizuki replied barely above a whisper, "We should."

Neither one of them made a move, though. Both could only sit for a few moments more collecting themselves further. Itachi was the first to move, slowly standing up, going over to what remained of the fire, putting it out, and retrieving something. Then he returned to Mizuki holding her shirt out to her so that she could put on her only missing piece of clothing. She shyly accepted it and traded him his cloak, which he in turn took back but did not put on as Mizuki put on her shirt.

"Let's go then…" Itachi said as he turned away from her and began heading towards the path that they had taken. Mizuki immediately stood and raced after him, not wanting to be left alone.

It was a long, hard, and deathly silent walk they took that night back to the camp as they both tried to erase the night's wonderful event from their conscious.


	10. Chapter Ten: Masking Guilt

**Dulcet: **Hey all! I know after that last chapter all you guys were like "What the heck?" and "Oh… my… Buddha!" and "What were you thinking?"

**Don't worry. There is a reason for the 'suddenness'. **

Enjoy! ;)

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Masking Guilt**

"What was that sound?" Mizuki asked as she looked around searching for something.

"What?" Kisame asked, "You mean Itachi-san's sneezing?"

"Oh… So that's what that sound was!" Mizuki smiled, "I thought that there was just a bunch of bombs going off." Then she went over to Itachi and placed a hand on his forehead, taking in the warm temperature that he was giving off. "You're burning up! I think that you're getting a cold, Uchiha-san."

The man only pushed the girl's hand away from his face in irritation. "I don't get sick," he denied as he sniffled slightly and continued on.

"You never know…" Mizuki commented, "That little swim last night could have given you something…"

"I made sure that it wouldn't," he retorted in return, "There were no symptoms while in the water that would give me a cold and I took the precaution of drying off once I got out."

"Still, you have a cold," Mizuki pressed on, "And you don't look so good… Maybe we should stop and rest for a bit."

"I'm fine," Itachi said, "Would you stop…" But he left the sentence unfinished as all thoughts, all matter, all sense of being left his mind and he found himself limp and falling. Luckily he was able to steady himself against a nearby tree before he plopped down to a sitting position on the ground, waiting for his eyes and mind to clear up. "Itachi-san!" Kisame exclaimed as he rushed to his friend, putting his hands on his shoulders and lightly shaking him, "Itachi-san! Itachi-san!"

"Stop that!" Mizuki yelled as she put her foot to Kisame's shoulder and kicked him over and away from the groaning form, "You're making it worse!"

For a moment, Kisame totally forgot about his companion as he stared up at Mizuki, who was glaring down at him. Then that's when he saw it… that hostility that had first tainted those beautiful eyes when he had first met her. It was back. But why? "Mizuki-chan…" he said, "What's wrong with you?"

Suddenly her face dropped in what appeared to be inquiry. "What's wrong with me?" she asked as she seemed to suddenly withdraw again, pressing her fingers together, "Well… uh… I'm just concerned about Uchiha-san, I suppose. I mean… you were shaking him!"

"And when did you start calling him by his first name?" Kisame then interrogated as he rose and squared off with her.

"Uh… well… I call you by _your_ first name," she pointed out, "Why shouldn't I call him by _his_ first name?" Then groans of awareness saved her, allowing the preceding subject to be dropped as she went down to his level and stared into his face. "Uchiha-san, are you alright?" she asked as the man slowly opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times to focus them.

However, upon realizing it was her, he simply seemed to push her away and turn his head. "Fine," he answered laconically, "We should be going."

"No way, Itachi-san," Kisame responded, "You are going to rest for a while."

"I told you both: I'm fine," he insisted as he tried to get to his feet, finding it more difficult than usual to do so.

"My gods…" Mizuki commented as she watched him collapse once again, "You're worse than I thought. Why didn't you tell us that you were feeling so poorly?"

"Because it didn't matter," Itachi answered, "Our only goal is to get to base."

"Actually, I'd be fine with delaying our arrival a bit longer," Mizuki kidded, though neither of the men seemed amused.

"It's unhealthy to endure the sort of activity we do in your condition," Kisame agreed with Mizuki after a short silence, "We'll stop for about an hour so that you can rest."

"An hour?" Itachi repeated with a smirk, "Give me half. I'll be better in no time at…" Once again his illness forced him to trail off and leave a statement hanging in the air. This time, however, the cause wasn't light headedness. Instead, this time Itachi stopped so he could rush away from the path so that he could be sick in the bushes.

The other two only watched, Mizuki being the only one to cringe. "Well…" she said, "That _is_ the best way to get rid of what's bothering him…"

"It won't speed up recovery any faster though," Kisame sighed as he turned away, shaking his head.

Soon Itachi began to make his way back to the others with cold beads of sweat covering his brow as he slowly made his way towards them. It was a sad sight to see him in such condition; so weak and tired, trapped in a body that would not perform the acts that his mind was urging it to do. Then just as he came to them, he once again looked for the tree in support, sticking out his arm and leaning on it. This action didn't help him long though, for he passed out once again and fell to the ground unconscious.

Mizuki sighed. "I wish he would have told us sooner," she told Kisame as she went to the lifeless form of the ninja, turning him onto his back and then placing his head upon her lap, "He looks horrible."

"He'll get over it," Kisame commented, not too worried about the diseased man, "A simple flu won't stop him for long."

"I just don't like seeing him like this…" Mizuki explained as she tried to wipe the condensation away from his face with a handkerchief, "It's like watching a wounded animal."

"You get used to it," Kisame commented as he leaned back against the tree, "You eventually learn that you can't help something that's fate is sealed. So relax. Itachi-san is not going to die over the flu."

"I know," Mizuki nodded as she gingerly began to stroke Itachi's hair, which surprisingly seemed to bring some relief in his sleeping expression, "I guess that I just don't like being useless like that. I'd prefer to be able to try and then fail than having to stand back and watch."

"Really?" Kisame questioned, "You don't seem like that sort of person."

"And why not?" the girl asked with an expression that hinted at offense.

"Well… from what I know of you, you seem to be more of a passive person," he explained, "I mean… You look up at the stars, you seem to believe in a greater power, and you haven't once tried to run away from us… even though you know you might fail."

"Uh… well… that's only because… um… uh…There's no chance," she saved, "The facts just point to my recapture. There's no way that an escape could be possible, so why try?"

Kisame only shrugged, dismissing the comment. "Whatever," he said as he lounged out, "I'm not one to judge usually."

"Mizuki…" Itachi called as he shook uncontrollably in the girl's arms. He was so cold… and not because of the night air for the fire would have taken care of that. And even though he was trembling so badly, he was sweating, which did not help to warm him.

"I'm here, Uchiha-san," she whispered to him, though she knew that he couldn't hear her since he was simply going into a state of shock while he weaved in and out of sleep. Sadly he wasn't showing any improvement yet besides the fact that he had long ago stopped sneezing and developed such extreme symptoms as this. Mizuki oh-so did miss the sneezing.

"Mizuki…" he let out again as his hand searched for hers, easily finding it near his chest where she held him propped up, "Mizuki…"

"Be still, Uchiha-san," she cooed in his ear, "It should all be over soon."

Then as if on cue, his shaking began to lessen as she held him closer to herself, trying to comfort him. Finally he calmed down altogether, allowing a sighing Mizuki to lay him down to rest once again. After doing so, she held her head in her hands with worry. She wouldn't be able to keep doing this. She couldn't care for him like this any more. If she did then she might just get sick to her stomach herself, and she didn't think that it would be from catching Itachi's illness. What had happened the other night still hung over her head like a cloud that warned her of impending doom if she were to slip up again. Something like that wasn't supposed to have happened yet. It wasn't supposed to have happened for a very, very long time in fact. Mizuki was only thankful to the owner of that kunai to have given her a good reason to stop Itachi. Throughout the entire experience painful memories had threatened to break through. Luckily Mizuki had been fortunate that Itachi had been able to distract her so well. Even still, its end was welcomed. She couldn't have had Itachi continue for much longer.

Suddenly something drew her out of her thoughts. "How is he?" Kisame's voice sounded as he came back into the clearing, back from a mind-clearing walk.

"The only improvement that I see is that his fits are becoming fewer and less severe," she replied, "But I think with a little more sleep that he should be well again very soon."

"Are you so sure about that?" Kisame questioned as he looked over at the wreck that was Uchiha Itachi, "It looks like he could be out for a while."

"Trust me," she assured him as she put on her smiling mask, "I'll have him ready to travel by tomorrow."

And there was something in that grin of hers that told Kisame that she was right and that everything was taken care of. "In that case…" he said as he lied down, "I'll just turn in early."

"Good night," Mizuki told him.

"Good night."

Then the shark closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep within moments. That's when Mizuki finally let out a depressed sigh. What was she going to do? She couldn't stay here much longer acting like this. The truth was pressing down on her far too harshly the further they went along: Her death lied at the end of this journey and she could feel that their destination was looming closer. No matter how much she didn't like these men, she had to keep up this act until the time was right.

And what of Itachi? Now that she had remembered everything, she almost felt sorry for keeping up this front with him… almost. And even now as she knew that she had the two men wrapped around her finger, she couldn't help but feel that things weren't going to turn out according to plan. Perhaps she truly was doomed to the fates. Perhaps there was nothing that she could do to deny destiny this time. And so, with this realization, tears slowly came to her eyes, falling down her cheeks as she huddled into a ball. It was hopeless. Very soon she would surely die, failing her people in the worst possible way.

"Mizuki-chan?" a soft voice called from behind her.

Mizuki turned around to see Itachi staring over at her from where he lay, his eyes only half open. "Mizuki-chan…" he called again, "Why are you crying?"

Quickly she wiped away the droplets running down her face and caught in her eyes. "Because of you," she lied, "I just… don't have a good feeling about this."

"It's only a flu," he smiled weakly, "There is no need to weep over something so mundane."

"You're right," she replied as she feigned a smile, "But I can't help the way I feel."

"I know the feeling," he replied with a nod as his face grew serious. A pause followed as they stared at each other in silence. Mizuki couldn't help but feel her heart stop under his gaze. She knew exactly what feeling he was implying with those words and she didn't like that he was bringing such matters up. What was worse was that faint look of longing in his eyes… Itachi's eyes had become so readable as of late. He could hide from the world, even from Kisame, but it was not very often that Mizuki could not decipher his emotions hiding behind those orbs."Go back to sleep," she suggested, "You need your rest."

"No," he refused, "I want to stay up a bit longer with you."

"Uchiha-san…" Mizuki pleaded, wanting him to simply go back to sleep so that his suffering could be ended quicker.

"And another thing…" he said as his eyes began to become more animated, "I want to ask something of you."

"What is it?"

Itachi seemed to hesitate at first, considering whether he should request his desire at all. Eventually though he made up his mind and decided to take the risk. "Could you call me by my first name?" he questioned, "Like you used to?"

"Uchiha-san…" she said, letting it out in a quiet and soft groan. Then she sighed the matter away and nodded. "Alright. Itachi-san."

The ill man, though his senses had been dulled, still could detect the unhappiness and obligation in her tone. "You don't have to if you don't want to," he told her, "I just remembered how much you loved calling me by 'Itachi' when we were younger."

Hearing this, the truth of that fact came back to her, taking her by surprise. "That was only because I thought that your name was cute," she chuckled, "I had so much fun playing with my dearest Weasel."

"Mizuki-chan…" he moaned as he slowly came up into a sitting position, rubbing his temples, "You know how much I don't like being called 'Weasel'."

"I know… which is why I won't," she smiled, "But you aren't my cute little Weasel anymore, Uchiha-san. You're… a boy from my past whom I happened to run into. Besides… now I think of you as more of a raven than a weasel."

"A raven?" he questioned with a bit of humor in his voice, "I like that… But why a raven?"

Mizuki laughed. "Blame it on the Hizoku brainwash method, but that's how most of our stronger enemies are considered," she explained, "Proud, brave, daring, mysterious, and malicious are words that are used to describe the ravens among our foes."

"Do you still think of me as a foe, then?" Itachi questioned, pondering whether he wanted to hear the answer at all.

And as he was uneager to receive a reply, Mizuki was also slow to give it, "I… I suppose."

This comment dealt a horrible blow to Itachi as he heard Mizuki's true thoughts. Mizuki could see the disbelief that was portrayed on his face without a bit of attempt to conceal it on Itachi's part. "But… But the other night… You-"

"I know!" Mizuki stopped him, as he began to conjure up the pain she was trying to suppress caused by having to deny him yet again, "I know. It's just that... we can't be together even though we may want to be. You're an Uchiha."

"But we are hardly even a clan anymore," he defended, "You have no reason to hate me for that."

"You are an Akatsuki!" she pointed out as she turned away from him, not being able to bear his look of rejection.

He was losing her. Itachi was losing Mizuki after having just gotten her back. This couldn't happen again! He wouldn't let it! He'd do anything to keep her with him! And that's when the words came spilling out, "Then I'll leave the Akatsuki!"

"What?" Mizuki questioned as she turned to look at him.

Like her, Itachi too was surprised by his own statement, but once it was out it almost made perfect sense. "I'll leave them for you," he repeated, "I'd be perfectly willing to do it."

"No one leaves the Akatsuki," she pointed out as she shook her head in discouragement and disbelief, "You can't. And even if you did, they would find you eventually."

"We haven't been able to find your tribe yet," he went on, "I can stay with you and they'd never find us."

"That's because they've had no real reason to look! Itachi-san…" she groaned again, "You're a fool!"

"Be that as it may, I simply don't care," Itachi replied coolly, taking her hands in his, "I love you too much."

At hearing this, Mizuki's eyes opened wide with surprise. "You… what?" she asked.

For a second Itachi stared deeply into her pools of blue with his own relaxing reds before he repeated himself, "I love you. I've always loved you."

Mizuki was left speechless at this moment. This wasn't supposed to go like this. The plan wasn't supposed to go this far! Then Itachi drew his hands away, leaving something in their departing. And so Mizuki looked down into her hands to see Itachi's Akatsuki ring nestled there, looking so out of place in her hands. She looked back up into his face to see him still gazing at her. "Take that as proof that I would leave them in a heartbeat for you."

With that, the guilt seemed to stab its way through her heart. Could she really go on with the mission after this? Could she really betray Uchiha Itachi after having been told of his eternal and undying love?


	11. Chapter Eleven: Reasoning

**Chapter Eleven: Reasoning**

Kisame's progress on making camp was slower than usual as he was deep in thought about the current situation involving him and his fellow travelers. Both Itachi and Mizuki had seemed to have changed somehow recently. It had seemed very subtle only a few days ago when the conversion was barely noticeable, but after Itachi had caught cold and recovered it had worsened to obvious extents. Neither of them seemed to speak much and almost seemed to intentionally avoid each other, which was a very conspicuous sign that something had happened between them. This suspicion brought great uneasiness to Kisame as he had already suspected before that there was a secret or two that they were keeping from him; their recent behavior only confirmed his thoughts. But now he had to configure what was wrong, which shouldn't have been too difficult for him to do. After all, it is not the events that change a person's disposition, but the knowledge of and reactions to the events. Therefore the source of the silence couldn't have been a squabble, for there was no ill feelings between them as far as Kisame could tell. However, whatever had happened could not have been anything good for both had been in serious thought for some time now, probably reflecting on whatever happened. And if this was the case, that meant that whatever was shared between them was of no miniscule proportions.

Lightly Kisame shook his head, banishing the fear that arose in his heart at these conclusions for they gave good grounds for supporting the one possibility that he worried about the most. Perhaps the way that they paid so much attention to each other before was no illusion of his judgment. Maybe the fact that Itachi wasn't being as cruel towards Mizuki as he should have been was truly an intentional act. And could it be that Mizuki herself was the reason for Itachi's newly discovered reserved manner?

Kisame's ally had changed since they had first captured the girl. Before she came into the picture, Itachi would simply go about his business as if he were alone, totally impervious to anyone else's presence. But with this Hizoku royalty his attitude became more careful and wary. Then again, maybe that was only to protect himself from her. She was, after all, his enemy more than she was Kisame's since Mizuki had only one reason to dislike the blue man. But as far as it went for Itachi, she had several reasons—two of them being that he was both Uchiha and Akatsuki, another being that they had gotten off to a particularly bad start.

On the other hand, she had seemed to forgive him for his first behaviors, so that shouldn't have been a problem. In fact, only a few days ago they had been acting very friendly at the lake—a little too friendly. Wait… The lake! Of course! That's when it had all started! Before Itachi had taken ill but after the swim trip, it had been ever so quiet between the two, even though not yet uncomfortable. Then there was what happened while his companion had been sick. Multiple times he had heard the brave rogue call out for that girl, who hardly left his side anyway. That was a clue right there! Beckoning Mizuki was a strange action considering their earlier mannerisms. What was even more intriguing was Mizuki's dedication to him and his recovery. They both wanted to be near the other in a time of struggle…

That's when Kisame's mouth dropped into a frown as a sudden realization came to him. _'No… it couldn't be…'_ he thought to himself as his gaze wandered over to Itachi, who was absentmindedly going through his work as his thoughts were clearly elsewhere, _'It's impossible.'_

Unfortunately, the blue man's hopes were not settled as he noticed those red eyes glance up and look over to another form, which was resting at the edge of camp. Itachi stared over at her for an instant, and then did something unthinkable—something that Kisame thought him incapable of—Uchiha Itachi heaved a light sigh as he gazed upon the nearby woman, only to shake his head and return to his chore. Kisame's jaw dropped so far down that the tips of his sharp teeth were visible. This along with his blinking beady eyes went unseen and unnoticed by Itachi though, as he was preoccupied with his own ponderings. The shark's reaction was brought to his attention, however, when Kisame spoke to him. "Itachi-san…" he began, "Can we talk?"

So stopping his work, Itachi looked up and put on a face of innocence that Kisame would have actually fallen for if he did not believe so firmly in his suspicions. "What about?" Itachi returned as he straightened to face his friend.

"About you…" Kisame began as he tried to request information that was necessary to regain communication between the two partners, but unwanted by the man who did not want to discover a different side to the cold-blooded killer that he called his friend, "… and also Mizuki."

This caused Itachi's face to drop as he suddenly realized the depth of this discussion, having not expected that Kisame would ever even have so much as suspected such a private matter as he obviously was almost or completely aware of. Did he know? Or did he simply have good reason to suppose? Well, whatever the purpose for his inquiry, it wouldn't take long one way or another for Kisame to discover the truth. It was all Itachi could do to at least be decent to his ally and satisfy his curiosity as soon as possible. "Kisame-san…" Itachi said in a low voice before looking over to Mizuki and pausing, "Not here… She's a light sleeper."

And with that, Itachi began to walk away from the campsite where a temporarily dazed Kisame stood after hearing the last comment. "Please, gods… tell me that the reason that he knows that is totally unrelated to my theory," he said as he began to think the worst of the situation. Then he hastily followed after the other man, trying to catch up. But once a good distance away from camp, Itachi stopped and turned. "So, what do you know?" he questioned.

"I know that something is going on between you and Mizuki-chan that neither of you are talking about," Kisame answered as he calmly folded his arms, "So… what's up?"

Itachi ran a hand over his head as he exhaled heavily, preparing himself for what he was about to share. "She and I… we knew each other when we were young," he explained, "And I guess that she just brings out that old me."

"Well I certainly know that you're not the real you," Kisame agreed, "It seems that her very presence is making you go crazy!"

"I know, I know," Itachi replied as he sat down on a nearby log, "I can't help it! I guess there's part of me that still loves her… and it has been growing stronger every day since her being with us."

"Then you're just going to have to do something about-" Kisame began before cutting himself off after tuning in to one key word that Itachi had spoken, "Wait…. What do you mean still loves her? You mean, you were lovers when you were younger?"

"Sweethearts, so to speak," Itachi corrected, "If even that. We only knew each other for a few weeks before we were separated. I know it sounds juvenile and foolish but… those memories and feelings stuck with me through the years, no matter how many times I tried to rid myself of them or how close I came to abolishing them altogether."

"Itachi-san… you know that you can't do this, right?" Kisame pointed out, "You can't have her. You shouldn't even be having this problem. You've never given into other emotions before without a fight, so why this one?"

"I don't know. I just… don't want to."

"You have to though, or else it could get ugly!"

"Calm down, Kisame-san," Itachi told him, "You probably don't have anything to worry about. I can control myself well enough. Besides…" he trailed of as his heart seemed to drop as he prepared to admit the most terrible truth that he could ever believe, "I don't think she loves me anymore."

Suddenly, the misery in Itachi's voice and the depression on his face brought pity upon Kisame as he sympathized for his friend. "You don't know that," he tried to cheer, "Maybe she's just being smart and keeping it well hidden, unlike someone here."

"I don't know…"

"Well what gives you the idea that she doesn't return your feelings?" Kisame questioned, "I mean, she seems pretty affectionate of you from my point of view."

"Why do you say that?" Itachi interrogated suspiciously. Exactly how much did he really know? Could it really have been him who had thrown that kunai? It was possible... Who else could it have been?

"Like when you were sick... she never left your side. Not once. She was really worried about you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Then there was the whole… lake incident."

"So you _did_ see us!" Itachi exclaimed out of near embarrassment, taking a step back in shock at hearing the truth out loud.

"Well, duh!" Kisame replied while rolling his eyes, "It's not like you guys were trying to hide. I think that you were just caught up in the moment."

"Well… uh…" Itachi began slowly as his mind went blank as he panicked to come up with a rational reply, "I would have stopped even if you hadn't thrown the kunai! I mean-"

"Kunai?" Kisame questioned with a raised eyebrow, "What kunai? There was no kunai."

"You mean… you didn't throw it?" Itachi asked with pure confusion.

"No…" Kisame replied, "Itachi-san… when was a kunai ever thrown while we were at that lake?"

"Well… after you left," he answered as he turned his back to hide from the questionnaire, "Someone threw a kunai at us after you left."

"Uh-huh… And… what exactly would you have stopped if it hadn't been thrown?" Kisame pressed as he circled around to stare at his opponent in the eye.

"Actually… The thing is… Well, you see…" Itachi stalled, trying to delay the facts, "It started out as a kiss and then I suppose things got… _carried away_…"

"Oh my gods, Itachi-san!" Kisame yelled at correctly assuming what had really happened, "How could you let that happen? Aren't you supposed to be unsparkable?"

"I am… but Mizuki-chan is a special exception," Itachi defended even though he too couldn't believe it himself, "I'm sorry but I just couldn't resist."

"So did she seduce you then, or was it your idea?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this but… I started it. The only thing she did to encourage me was kissing me."

Kisame's eyebrow arched as he looked over at Itachi in disbelief at the reply he received. "Oh, yes. Of course," he said with a strong sarcastic tone, "Because kissing always drives a man wild. How could you have possibly have resisted a little smoochy-poo?" Then his tone turned. "How could you do that, Itachi-san? You've been lying to me for… who knows how long!"

"Listen, I'm sorry I had to keep this from you, but I knew that you would only try to stop me-"

"And that would have been a bad thing?" Kisame cut in, "You can't go around developing emotional attachments to girls… especially prisoners! It makes you weak!"

"And what of you?" Itachi retorted, "You were the one who wanted to have her in the first place."

"Yes, but my intentions were purely physical, not emotional," Kisame replied with a tone that almost sounded embarrassed and ashamed of his goal, "I didn't go falling head over heels for her."

"Stop it," Itachi told him, "I can't help it. It is hard enough to earn my affections, but once they _are_ earned, it is very easy to stir them. I've found that out now."

"Then we're going to have to do something about that little problem," Kisame pointed out as he began to calm down once again, "From now on, you are to not think of feeling romantically towards Mizuki-chan. Am I understood?"

"It won't be so easy as-"

"I said, 'Am I understood?'"

A silence rang out, filling the space between the repeated question and the reply which was given: "Yes. I will do my best."

"Good," Kisame nodded, "Now… What are we going to do about her feelings?"

"What?" Itachi asked, "What feelings?"

"Well, she obviously has a thing for you," Kisame pointed out indifferently, "Otherwise she wouldn't have almost let you have your way with her."

"First of all, I would hardly call it 'having my way with her'," he debated, "Second of all, I doubt that she even had feelings for me in the first place. I believe that any amorous thoughts that she ever had towards me recently were inspired by the mood of the moment. She never did have very much self-control."

"I see…" Kisame acknowledged, "Then she must have liked you at least a little in order for her emotions to have developed to such levels as they did."

"I suppose…" Itachi sighed, "But it was all a mistake anyways. Like me, she too is probably trying to forget everything. If anyone of us is taking this forbidden fruit seriously, it's her. You should have seen the way that she drew away from me that night…" He shook his head as he felt dishonor spread through his body, tainting him with regret. She had seemed so ashamed and embarrassed of what they were doing while he loved her enough to forget shame… That was the moment that he suspected that something was wrong.

"Well, I may not have seen you two, but someone else did," Kisame interrupted Itachi's thoughts, "You said someone threw a kunai, which is what stopped you, right?"

"That's right," Itachi recalled as he drew the lines together, "But if it hadn't been you, then who do you suppose it could have been?"

"Certainly not some passerby…" Kisame commented, "They wouldn't have gone far enough as to interfere. If anything they would have just left. No… it was someone who knew you needed to be stopped. It might have been someone from the organization…"

A wave of fear at this possibility crashed over Itachi as he was almost frozen by the idea that someone else from the Akatsuki could know about this. If they did, who knew what would be in store for him when they returned? After all, they were not the sort to tolerate such behavior as Kisame had thus far. Then again… what were the chances that it was one of his fellow villains? "And why would they be here?" Itachi questioned, hoping that the other man would have no good reason that the theory was true.

Of course, the shark always had suggestions for anything. "Who knows?" he replied, "There's plenty of reasons. They could coincidentally be around here on a mission… They could have gotten impatient for our return and come to find and check up on us... They could have had a message for us concerning the group's future efforts… The list goes on and on really."

A groan escaped Itachi's lips. "Then why didn't they just kill me then and there?" he asked as he hid his face in his hands.

"Oh, don't even get me started on that list," Kisame told him as apparently this one too was probably longer than Itachi's arm.

"Well here's a list that could be considerably shorter that I actually want to hear answers for…" Itachi began as he looked up to the sleuth, "Who else could it have been?"

"Hmm…" Kisame pondered, having a little more trouble with this request, much to Itachi's disappointment. With each moment that went by that there was not one answer, Itachi could feel his doom approaching via other Akatsuki members. Then, just before he was about to consider sticking a knife in himself, Kisame snapped his fingers as something clicked into his head. "Maybe someone who wasn't stopping you for your own sake, but **hers**."

"Explain please," Itachi requested as he felt his spirits lift a little at hearing that there could be another party involved, even though he should have been even more worried at the news.

"She's a princess right?" Kisame began, "So therefore, her overdue absence would certainly not go unnoticed by the others. I'm sure that a concerned father would send out search parties in a heartbeat if his daughter didn't return home within a reasonable amount of time. Someone from her tribe could have found you both and stopped you."

"Well then, why didn't they attack and try to rescue her?"

"I'm sure that they recognized you," Kisame went on as he slowly paced back and forth as he shared his deductions, "After all, you are an infamous enemy amongst her people. The must have known that they had no chance against you and left to get orders from the leader and/or bring back reinforcements. If that is the case, we should be expecting an attack…"

"Are you sure?" Itachi questioned, "They should know that no increasing of numbers would be able to defeat us."

"They certainly can't sit back and do nothing, though, can they?" Kisame corrected.

"But all they have to do is to wait for the opportune moment…" Itachi thought out loud as he stared at the ground.

"Like when?" Kisame asked a bit testily as he found his reasoning being refused.

That's when the Uchiha looked over to the shark, his eyes wide with concern as a thought came to mind. "Like when we've left her alone," he replied as he jumped up and hurried back to the camp, hoping that this wasn't the case. They had been so stupid! They shouldn't have ever left her alone! In fact, they should have been acting more like captors and less like escorts this entire time! Why had he let his feelings get in the way? If the others ever found out that they had captured and let escape the princess of one of their rival clans, both him and Kisame would certainly pay dearly for it!

And so, upon reaching the empty campground Itachi's fears were set to rest, even though both his curiosity and his concern were aroused as he saw Mizuki sitting in the middle of the camp… crying.


	12. Chapter Twelve: Torn

**Chapter Twelve: Torn**

_'No! Stop it!' _Mizuki told herself uselessly as the tears just continued to pour out of her blue eyes and into her hands, _'Stop crying! Don't let him regain that power over you! You'll get around this! You'll get through this!'_ Of course, in her heart she knew that this was all wishful thinking. There was no getting around this. It wouldn't go away now that it had happened. Her fate might as well have been set in stone. "Mizuki-chan?" a voice called, yanking her out of the despair that had engulfed her.

Instantly she looked up to see no one else but Itachi standing only a few feet away from where she had collapsed to her knees. "What's wrong?" he asked as he seemed to reach out to her, only taking a step before stopping himself.

Surprisingly Mizuki was downhearted that he had decided not to come closer. She wanted his comfort… She _**needed**_ his comfort… But in the end, she knew that he had probably made the right choice by staying away. It seemed that he too had finally realized that his own feelings were foolish and destructive. In a way, the denial almost made her happy, even though the gesture itself was painful. But once she was able to control her weeping, she looked over at Itachi with those big, watering eyes and tried to smile, shaking her head. "It's nothing that you should concern yourself with…" she answered, hopelessly praying that he wouldn't press matters any farther.

And it had appeared by the way he opened his mouth to speak that he was about to. Fortunately Kisame intervened and stopped him. "Then he won't," the shark said as he came into the clearing, "Which brings up a few new rules, Mizuki-chan. I'm afraid that now that we're nearing our destination, we're going to have to start running a tighter ship."

"Kisame-san, is this really the time?" Itachi questioned.

"What did we just talk about, Itachi-san?" Kisame questioned with a raised eyebrow as he sensed the compassion in his partner's tone. At this, the Uchiha backed down at this reminder and let the other man continue. "So that means no more going to see the stars. No more being buddy-buddy with each other. From here on out, we are going to be some of the strictest captors you will ever come across."

Then after a few more wipe-aways of tears and a sniff or two Mizuki finally seemed to smile as she usually did, which partially surprised both men. "Okay," she told them, "I understand."

Itachi was rendered speechless at this. Mizuki –the girl who couldn't survive without the stars, who could only tolerate the two men if they acted like her friends—was actually smiling in the face of such news? "Good," Kisame was able to say after a few moments of recovering from surprise at her acceptance. Then he turned to his ally and said, "I will take the first watch at guarding her."

"No, I will," Itachi replied in his recovering cold tone, making the statement sound more of an order than a demand, "We both know that your sleeping patterns can be very unpredictable and once you even so much as bat an eyelid, you're out cold. You can keep guard on her all day tomorrow."

"I won't tonight. Besides, I still don't-" Kisame began to reply with a sort of growl in his voice, showing his disapproval for such an action.

However, Itachi cut him off as the old leader in him slowly seemed to come back into his eyes, "Enough of that! You will obey my orders, Kisame-san, whether you like it or not! Remember: I am still your superior."

And of course, no one could argue with that base. So the shark regretfully backed down and slunk off, muttering something close to a: "Yes, sir." He then lied down, distant from the other two, and almost instantly he fell asleep.

Having that been taken care of, Itachi turned those burning red eyes towards Mizuki to stare at her for just an instant before letting his eyes take on a new expression. It wasn't one that the young girl recognized though; it wasn't his cool and distant red nor was it his caring and empathetic blaze. This was something a little different—something in between both expressions. It was as if the two Itachi's were battling for domination of his eyes and neither was winning. However, both acted in a similar fashion as Itachi sat down in front of Mizuki and stared at her. "What happened while we were away?" he bluntly interrogated.

But the reply was delayed as Mizuki tried to decide which Itachi was asking. If it was her captor speaking, of course she couldn't tell. On the other hand, if it was her friend and past sweetheart, then she definitely couldn't tell him so therefore, the answer was easy. "Nothing of importance," she finally answered as she looked away from him, trying to avoid that investigative gaze.

And as Itachi was frank in asking Mizuki why she had been weeping, he was also frank in his reaction. "You're lying," he told her, "If it was nothing of importance, as you say, then you wouldn't have been crying."

"If it was anything that could endanger your mission and get me away from you two, do you think I would be crying?" she retorted as she slowly turned herself away from him so that he couldn't see those blue eyes that were famous for giving away far too much.

Itachi was silent for a few moments, contemplating this and considering whether anything that she would cry over would jeopardize the mission. Fortunately for the prisoner, he could think of nothing, so he willingly let it slide as he got up and went over to the other side of the clearing where he could keep an eye on her. This reaction was probably the best that he could have done for Mizuki, although she did feel that it had been heartless and unsympathetic on his part. It allowed her to relax a bit as she was taken from under the magnifying glass and was no longer being investigated on such a personal matter by such a person as Itachi. She couldn't bear to even think about what had happened not so long ago while he was currently present. The very thought of it made her feel oh-so guilty… like she was betraying his feelings for her.

No matter how hard she tried to push away any hesitance at letting him down, she simply couldn't. The feelings that Mizuki had felt for Itachi so long ago were coming back and now she would have to start all over again in order to get rid of them. She didn't even know if she could do it by herself. After all, last time she had received 'help', if you could even call it that.

Mizuki shivered at the very memory of the 'help' that she had received. Each session had been the worst experiences of her life as she had to relive it so many times. It was all coming back to her now—the pain, the torment, the tears—all so vivid and real as one of these said nightmares came back to her in her sleep.

Tears had been spilling from her eyes as she tightly closed them. She didn't want to watch what was being done to her; feeling it was bad enough. Even the pain in her lower lip as she bit it to keep from screaming was preferable to horror that was being done to her body. Every time that it happened was traumatic for her as she instantly began to regret ever loving Itachi every time. It was because of their love that this was happening. It was because of their love that she had to endure this so often and so harshly.

Trying desperately to banish the scene, she put her hands to her head and began to shake the happening away as real tears streamed from her eyes. But no matter what she did, she could still feel it, even as she opened her eyes, holding herself to stop her body from trembling. Then she looked around at her surroundings, trying to remind herself that she was not at home… it hadn't been real. That's when she saw Itachi, leaning back against a trunk of a tree as his head rested against it, his face in plain sight so that Mizuki could see that his eyes were closed in slumber. _'Good,'_ she thought to herself, _'He can't see me like this… especially now that we're beginning to separate again. It might tempt him to turn away from himself again…'_

Then she began to pull on the front of her shirt to let in some cool air in hopes that it would rid her body of the sweat that had formed and the heat that the adrenaline had caused. Once that was done, she took a deep breath and slowly laid back down, the effects of her fear overcoming her as her body and mind began to feel weary and sleepy…

And as her breathing became regular, Itachi slowly opened his eyes, staring over at Mizuki. Whatever had happened earlier was surely not 'nothing of importance', even if it didn't affect the current mission. This caused Itachi to become torn: Should he try to discover what had happened so that he could help be part of the solution? Or should he simply do his duty and ignore it altogether?


	13. Chapter 13: Every Time We Say Goodbye

**Chapter Thirteen: Every Time We Say Goodbye**

There was only the crackling of the small campfire to break the silence that was gently laid over the three weary travelers. That was all Mizuki could hear as she relaxed against the trunk of the strong tree, her muscles aching from the overtime that she had been put through that day. In earlier days at the start of their journey they would travel slowly during the day, resting every now and again. Then, as they came closer to their destination they would only stop once for lunch. Now, they didn't even do that. And not only were they not resting, they were pressing on for longer periods of time with faster speeds. This exhaustion was good for Mizuki, though. It was the only thing that would keep her mind occupied from the results of all of this travelling. She would arrive to the Akatsuki base soon. She would be questioned, probably even tortured. Worst of all, she didn't know how long she would be kept alive. The only thing that she did know was that in a matter of a day or two, her life would turn to misery, pain, and despair.

Then again, even if she were to go free now, wouldn't her life still be lived with said attributes? If she went home now, she would have to be with a man that she hated and destined to never see again the man that she loved. _'No!'_ she thought to herself as she narrowed her eyebrows in frustration with herself at even thinking these things, _'I__ have to leave my feelings for him behind me__I HAVE TO! __He is an Uchiha… an Akatsuki…__ Loving him would only bring me depression. It is better to simply hate him! Hate the fact that he is Uchiha Itachi! Hate him for being an enemy of the Hizoku Clan! Hate that he can so easily cast me aside when I loved him so dearly! Hate him! Hate him! Hate him!'_

Salty tears of rage and despair began to threaten her eyelashes as she thought these things. _'I hate him…' _she thought, _'I hate him because… I love him too damn much!'_

"Hey…" his voice called, taking Mizuki out of her thoughts.

Her eyes instantly shot open to see Itachi crouching next to her, those cold blood red eyes staring into her own without the slightest hint of emotion. That probably dealt her heart the worst blow of all. How could he do that? How could he glare straight into the blue eyes that had bewitched him many a time before and not even show a hint of the old feelings he had felt only days before? Even Mizuki's expert reading could not find anything in those cool orbs.

Of course, she couldn't portray any of this pain. She had grown quite good at hiding her emotional baggage in the course of her lifetime. Uchiha Itachi was not about to be the first to break through. "Yes?" Mizuki replied as she brushed back a strand of hair from her face, "What do you want now?"

"Have you been well?" he questioned, his face still serious and solemn.

"What?" Mizuki questioned with confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Ever since that night when we came back to you, you've been having horrible nightmares; crying out in your sleep."

"What of it?" she snapped back, not wanting to be talking about her nighttime experiences with him.

"What of it?" Itachi repeated, seeming a little offended that she would reply like this, "I want to know why. What is it that is making you scream at night? What is it that terrifies you where I cannot reach you? Where I can't…" He had to trail off before saying more. He had wanted to finish that statement with 'protect you.' This was out of the question to even think for him now. Kisame had been right. He couldn't love. He was a killer. He couldn't afford emotions.

"Why would you care?" Mizuki spat, "It doesn't concern your mission. Besides, you will be turning me in to your leader soon enough and I won't be your problem anymore."

At this, Mizuki saw Itachi's eyes falter as they complemented the frown on his face. And in that frown, Mizuki saw hope that maybe Itachi really hadn't moved on. Maybe he was just hiding behind cold eyes like she was. But if that was so, it would be for the worse. _'Damn these feelings!'_ she thought to herself, _'Just get over him!'_

"Fine," he said as he turned away so that he could hide any disappointment and pain that was creeping onto his face, "So be it."

That was it. With those words, Mizuki knew that she was doomed to the Akatsuki. Itachi wouldn't help her. Itachi didn't love her. It seemed that his duty was far more important to him than she was. She would die in the confinement of her enemies…

No…She couldn't let that happen! She had to escape and soon! But she would need a plan; a plan so devious and crafty that it would have her rid of her captors by morning.

But even though Itachi knew that he wanted her out of their clutches as much as Mizuki did, he also knew that staying with the Akatsuki was the right decision. Loving Mizuki was foolish. It made him weak and vulnerable… at least, that's what he told himself for he too indeed loved her, knowing that they couldn't be together. She made him feel far too much than he cared to. Besides, showing love only reveals and encourages weakness. Itachi would not let that happen. But before another thought could cross through his mind, he felt a sharp pain in his head as something smashed across it. He fell, his body becoming limp as his mind slowly faded away. The last thing that he heard was just before he slipped out of consciousness was, "I'm sorry. I can't be your prisoner any longer."

"Itachi-san!" Itachi heard as he slowly came back into the waking world, "Itachi-san! Wake up! What happened?"

"What happened?" Itachi repeated as his eyes slowly fluttered open, his head throbbing, and his mind foggy. Then, holding his head in pain, he asked the previous question himself, "What _**did**_ happen?"

"I don't know…" Kisame answered, "This morning I woke up, you were knocked out, and Mizuki-chan and the scroll were gone."

"Mizuki-chan?" Itachi asked as he looked up at the shark man, "The scroll? Gone?"

"Yeah. I'm guessing that Mizuki-chan knocked you out, stole back the scroll and split."

"No… I don't believe that," Itachi replied as he shook his head, "She couldn't have done it!"

With that the ninja scrambled over to Kisame's bag where the ancient secrets had been kept. It was indeed not there. "No…" he repeated as he made his way over to his own pack and began searching through it.

Kisame could only watch in pity as his leader desperately and frantically searched for the item. He wouldn't find it. And that fact that Mizuki had done this to him… it must have been horrible. She had betrayed him. The only reason she hadn't done such a thing like this before was only because she had loved him. Now she had brought herself to do something like this… Did this mean that she didn't love him anymore?

"Did you try tracking her?" Itachi interrogated through gritted teeth as he searched.

"I did, but it seems that she took to the trees after a while," Kisame explained, "Her trail became untraceable after that."

"Irrelevant!" Itachi screamed as he momentarily looked over his shoulder to glare at the other man before returning to his inspection, "You should have scoured the forest-gone to the highest tree that you could find and scanned the area…"

"Itachi-san…" Kisame said with a maintained tone that portrayed the pity that he felt for the man in front of him, "She's gone. We will just have to return to base without her and the scroll."

Itachi had lost Mizuki. That must have been horrible both as a lover and a captor. Betrayal is the worst thing that a lover can go through… But for an Akatsuki member, failure was far worse.

Then to his surprise, Itachi suddenly stopped in his digging and became deathly quiet. "Itachi-san?" Kisame called, "Are you okay?"

Itachi slowly came to his feet and faced Kisame, something cradled gingerly in his hands as if he were a child nestling a baby bird. And if this had really been true, then it had probably been an unwell bird for there coming out of the blood red, murderous eyes of the s-ranked rogue ninja criminal named Uchiha Itachi were small trickling tears, even though he desperately tried to hold them back. Then he revealed the contents of his hands to Kisame. There, nestled in the bowl of his hands was a sparkling white comb, decorated by a single carving of a Lunar Rose.

"She's really gone this time, Kisame-san," he said as he wiped away the tears and stared at the comb, holding it in one hand now. Then he did something so bizarre and unexpected that Kisame had to question Itachi's current sanity: he smiled. "She's really left me…" he went on, "This was… the last time that I will probably ever see her."

Of course, what he didn't know was the contradiction of that statement that he would receive once the two men returned to the base and made their report. "So you mean to tell me that you had not only retrieved the scroll… but you also captured a royal member of one of the most mysterious and laudable clans currently in existence?" Pein asked as he stared down at them, enshrouded in shadow.

"Yes, sir," both men confirmed in unison.

"And then after keeping both of them for a number of weeks… they managed to slip through your fingers when this Hizoku Mizuki simply… hit Itachi-san over the head with a rock, rendering him unconscious…" the leader went on.

"Yes, sir."

"And where were you when this happened, Kisame-san?"

"I was… sleeping, sir."

"I see…" the man said with a pause, "I have also been told that you had a history with this girl. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"What kind of history, Itachi-san?"

"It is of little importance," Itachi replied, "She visited my village for a period of time during which I protected her."

"And your relationship was strictly professional?"

There was a pause. "I don't see how that is relevant, sir," Itachi defended.

Pein seemed to lean forward in his chair at this, interest dominating his posture and voice. "Do you mean to tell me that it wasn't a professional relationship that you had with this girl?"

"I never said that."

"But you did not deny it!" he went on with malicious intent, "Do you deny it, Itachi-san?"

With the slightest hesitation Itatchi replied, "I do not."

"So you were friends with this girl?"

"I was."

"So would you say that she trusts you?"

"I'm… not sure anymore," Itachi answered, resisting the urge to lower his head and avert his eyes to the ground, "We did recently just hold her captive, after all."

"No matter, no matter," Pein said with a wave of his hand in dismissal of the fact, "Your past with her is a good enough base to start off for now."

"Sir?" Itachi questioned, wondering what he meant by all of this.

"I have plans for you Itachi-san. We will send you back to her immediately!"

"Sir!" Kisame interrupted, "Pardon my intrusion and my objection, but I don't think that Itachi-san is ready for that yet!"

"And why not?"

"Because…" Kisame started, regretting ever saying anything as Itachi stood glaring at him, "They weren't just friends…" He stopped, swallowing his fear of what he was about to say, "They were… sweethearts."

At first, Pein said nothing. "Sweethearts?" he repeated with a smile, then began laughing with amusement, "To think that Uchiha Itachi could ever be charmed… Sweethearts, you say? That is even better! This is perfect!"

Now it was Kisame's turn to enter confusion while Itachi only plunged further into it. "Sir?" Kisame asked.

"Yes, I have big plans for you, Uchiha Itachi," he smiled, "Big plans…"

**End Part I**


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Not According To Plan

**Chapter Fourteen: Not According To Plan**

Slow and grave were the steps of the man with the appearance of a shark as he paced back and forth in front of his partner, friend, and fellow vagabond, Uchiha Itachi. What he was about to say was very important, thus he felt compelled to say it right the first time. So then Kisame stopped, faced the other man and readied himself for the announcement. "Well?" Itachi asked, almost demanding an explanation as to why he had been kept waiting for the past few minutes for something to be said, "If you have something to tell me, then just get it over with or I might just lose interest."

"Today is the day, Itachi-san," Kisame announced as he circled around his partner, scrutinizing him, "Today you will set out on your mission. Do not, and I repeated, do NOT mess this up! We have killed off any shred of humanity that had crept into your system after the retrieval of the Tsubasa Scroll. Today is truly a great day for this is the day that I officially deem you fully recovered!"

At first, Itachi only blinked his red eyes with a passive expression. Then slowly words began to form on his lips, "Does this mean…?"

"That's right!" Kisame nodded, "You are now ready to begin your mission."

"Well, I'd better be. I have been 'recovering' for three years now!"

"And it was time well spent," Kisame assured Itachi, "But you know what you have to do, right?"

"Recover the stolen Tsubasa Scroll and any additional information possessed by the Hizoku Clan," Itachi recited automatically. Yes, this was the Uchiha Itachi that Kisame knew. No mercy in his eyes. In fact, there wasn't much in his eyes but bloodthirsty hatred. This was the way he was supposed to be: a cold-blooded killer-emotionless, regretless, heartless. Yes… heartless. That's what they had made him. It had taken them so long to eliminate the feelings for that Hizoku girl from him. There was even a point where Kisame feared that he had lost the friend he had known forever to this girl. Actually… by now that girl would probably be a woman. Three years had passed since he had seen her. Three years since he himself was charmed by her beauty. Of course, Kisame had been able to leave her behind easily. Itachi, on the other hand, had experienced much greater difficulties for unlike Kisame, he hadn't wanted her body. Itachi had simply wanted her in all of her entirety and that was a longing that was tricky to be rid of. It had been those first few months that Kisame was thankful that he had never had a heart like Itachi had once had. It had been the remnants of the heart shrunken long ago that had almost been Itachi's downfall; that heart that had still held the smallest traces of feelings for that girl after so many years of separation, only to be fueled and rejuvenated when he had seen her again. Yes, Itachi had certainly been in love. Luckily, they were finally able to beat it out of him.

"Okay… but one more thing…" Kisame began, "How will you find them? The only clue that we have is that a novice ninja from the Hizoku Clan was recently spotted."

"Simple," the Uchiha countered, "I enter their territory and wait for them to find me. I will call a truce claiming that I want to join them."

"How do you even know that will work?" Kisame questioned skeptically, "How do you know they won't kill you… I'm sorry… How do you know they won't _try_ to kill you on sight?"

"We know that they recruit rogues who wish to join them, right?" Itachi pointed out.

"Right…"

"Well, have you ever considered how they do it?" the man went on, "They must have multiple ways of doing it in order for it to work so effectively that they haven't had a traitor yet."

"That's exactly it, Itachi-san!" Kisame argued, "If their system is so spy-proof, what makes you think that you will be accepted?"

With that Itachi smiled maliciously, convincing Kisame that what his partner had in store was full-proof. Unfortunately he was almost severely mistaken. "I have no reason to believe that my plan will work," Itachi replied, "No fact nor deduction will tell me that it will. But if there is anything that I have learned from that Hizoku girl that you will never train out of me it is that sometimes you have to trust yourself."

"You can't do that!" Kisame exclaimed as he saw the success that he had thought he had achieved crumbling before him, "There has to be structure to your actions, Itachi-san! Everything takes planning so that you can plan each step of your attack!"

"I am aware of that and I would do exactly that if the situation called for it," Itachi countered, "But this one doesn't. Structure and planning will only take me so far and we know of no other way to make contact with these people. Letting them believe that I am at their mercy is the best way to find them and once I do, their unpredictability will make earlier planning and structure useless. This is the only way that we can do it."

A few grumbles of complaint escaped Kisame as he folded his arms in front of him. "Oh… alright," he submitted, "But just make sure that you get to their village at any means necessary."

"Of course," Itachi nodded.

"Okay then…" Kisame said, "You best be off then. I will inform Pein-sama of your departure when I return to the base. Don't screw this up."

"Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" Itachi asked as he gave a rare smirk, "I'm not who I had reconverted to three years ago. I am once again the merciless Uchiha Itachi and I'm crueler than ever."

"Yeah, yeah," Kisame smiled back, "No need to brag. Just go already."

With that the rogue vanished out of the clearing, setting out on his mission to penetrate, conquer, and destroy the den of the Hizoku Clan.

"I still can't believe it!" the young girl said with shining brown eyes, "My big sister will be married within a month's time! How can you not be excited?"

Mizuki only sighed as she looked up from her embroidery to her sister sitting next to her, staring at her jubilant face and her innocent eyes. "If you knew what it was like going through what I have… maybe you would understand why I still dread the day that I will be forever chained to a man that I don't love," Mizuki answered, "I only pray that you will be fortunate enough to like the man that Father allows to marry you, Kayo-chan. Perhaps you will even love him."

"That's too far in the future for me…" Kayo pointed out as she returned to her own needlework, "But I still don't see why I can't choose who I will marry… even if it meant narrowing my options down to the sons of clan leaders."

"If only we could do that then I would be a lot happier and would have chosen my fiancé before I was left with no option," Mizuki concurred, "But Father will give you to the man that will result in the best alliance for us. It's as simple as that."

"But why?" Kayo whined, "Why must we suffer?"

"We are the daughters of a very important man…" Mizuki tried to explain, "We have no other way to serve our village than to bring peace to it."

"That's not true, though!" Kayo argued, "What about that time that you went to retrieve the Tsubasa Scroll?"

"That was three years ago, Kayo-chan," Mizuki replied, "I may have succeeded but I also learned something: We are not cut out for that sort of action. Hizoku warriors usually train from a very young age. I only started training myself when I was about your age."

"But that gave you two years of time in between! You went when you were sixteen."

"Yes, but it was still not enough," Mizuki answered, "And the few months of having a teacher before hand just might have saved my life and the mission… but I still barely made it out of the Akatsuki's clutches."

"But judging by what you told me, you could have gotten out of there way earlier than you did," Kayo went on, "So why didn't you?"

This was the first time that this point had ever been brought up to Mizuki. Kayo's investigative skills seemed to be growing each day so Mizuki should have expected something like this from her eventually. Now that this matter had been put in front of Mizuki, she had to seriously consider it. She had never thought about that before…. "I knew that if I did try and escape that they could probably recapture me pretty quickly," Mizuki said as her excuse.

"You and I both know that that's not true," Kayo defied, "If the Hizoku can claim any remarkable trait as their own it is escaping enemies. There must be another reason… Was it Uchiha-san? Was that why you didn't want to leave?"

"That's enough!" Mizuki yelled at the very mention of that name, "When I confided my meeting with him to you did I not make it clear that you were to never speak of it within these walls? You never know who might be listening!"

When she was younger, Kayo would have been scared by her sweet and loving sister pulling such a tone with her, but she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was fourteen years old and she had become quite accustomed to her sister's reaction to Uchiha Itachi's name. She knew that it was his name that had set her off and not the touchy subject of her secret kidnapping that they had not yet told the others about. Kayo could sometimes talk about that time in Mizuki's life, just as long as she did not mention the name of one of her captors. Why she seemed to hate Itachi Kayo could not know. She had once been told of the past that Mizuki and Itachi had once had as children so it made no sense to her. Then again… after what Katsuo did she couldn't blame Mizuki for hating him. It had been Mizuki's love for Itachi that had brought Katsuo to not only eliminate it, but guarantee his betrothal to her at the same time and crush her dream of ever marrying the Uchiha boy.

But then Kayo's thoughts were broken as the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man in fine apparel on the other side. "Father!" Kayo exclaimed as she rose from her cushion and stepped off of the platform of the room to greet him, "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to make sure that Mizuki-chan was alright," he answered as he stared over at his eldest daughter with brown eyes that were similar to his youngest daughter's, "You seemed… disheartened earlier when I saw you. Is everything alright?"

Mizuki didn't answer right away as she stared at the man before her. She hadn't seen his eyes so stern since she was twelve… Everything else about him had changed since then though. His skin had become tough and leathery, his hair had turned from raven black like her own to having streaks of grey. He no longer looked as strong as he once had been… Yes, almost everything had changed. His eyes, with the exception of crow's feet forming, were the only thing that had not yet changed. "Mizuki-chan?" he repeated with concern.

Then, just as he was about to receive an answer from the girl, another person joined them in the room, gaining everyone's attention as he did so. "Ah, Katsuo-san," the leader of the Hizoku Clan greeted, "There you are. I haven't seen you all day."

"Excuse me, Noboru-dono, but I have been at the training ground all day," the man explained with a smirk on his face as he greeted his future-father-in-law with a small bow, "I was taking a break and thought that I would come see my lovely fiancé."

"Well, here she is," Noboru smiled with a gesture.

"I am actually glad that you are all here," Katsuo announced, "I have something to show you all. Please, follow me."

With that he turned and slowly walked out the door, only Kayo following at first. Noboru waited for Mizuki, offering his hand as encouragement to come along, which she eventually did.

However, when Mizuki had accepted his hand, she had never imagined that Katsuo would lead them down into the vast labyrinth that was the village's dungeon. What could possibly be down here that he had encouraged all of them—even Kayo who had never been in this place—to come and simply take a look? So she gazed over at him, trying to gauge what he could possibly be plotting. She couldn't tell much though, not that she had expected to get very many details. But his mouth was slightly curved in a proud smile… his eyes telling her of a small victory he had conquered, which could not have been good for Mizuki. It never was.

"Katsuo-san…" Kayo whimpered as she looked about at her surroundings, cringing away from the occasional cell that held prisoners, "How much further?"

"Not much…" he answered, ignoring her uneasiness, "We're almost there."

Then they saw it. It was a cell where a single man was kept, his body sitting limp on the ground as he was supported by the chains that hung him from his arms, his long unkempt hair obscuring any chance they had of seeing his face. "Katsuo-san… what is this?" Noboru questioned in almost outrage, "Why was I not told of a new prisoner?"

"I wanted to tell you myself," he explained as the group all lined up along prison cell grate, "He is a special one indeed…"

"Who is it?" Kayo questioned as she stared on. Mizuki wasn't listening though. She was too scared that she already knew who it was. Then her fears were answered.

"Say hello to Uchiha Itachi," Katsuo announced.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: The Men in My Life

**Duclet: **So, earlier I was reading through this story from beginning to end and I just had to wonder... "How can they stand this crap?"

If you've made this far, I applaud and thank you.

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**Chapter Fifteen: The Men in My Life**

"This is… Uchiha Itachi?" Noboru repeated, the anger flushing from his face as he looked back at the fallen warrior, "You captured him?"

"I wish I could take credit, but I can't," Katsuo sighed, "The ninjas on guard confronted him. When they did he surrendered himself willingly, stating that he wanted to join the Hizoku Clan."

"He what?" Mizuki exclaimed, speaking for the first time since laying eyes upon the prisoner.

Then suddenly, the body within the cell came to life, his head jerking up so that he could see the person that the familiar voice belonged to. Kayo jumped at the sudden movement and grabbed hold of her father for protection, but quickly calmed again after recovering from shock. Mizuki paid her sister's reaction no mind though as she and Itachi gazed at each other, the rest of the party being silent.

"Ah, yes…" Katsuo finally said with a knowing tone, "You both are already acquainted, aren't you?"

These words caused Mizuki to slowly turn her head, staring at the man with a surprised look. He was the only one besides Kayo that knew about the kidnapping three years ago. Was he really careless enough to mention such a delicate topic in front of an unknowing party, especially since that person was her father?

"You are?" Noboru inquired, "How? When?"

"Oh… Just when we were children," Mizuki answered as she gave Katsuo a glare that signaled him not to enlighten her parent otherwise, "He was my bodyguard when I visited his village with you, Satoru-tama, and…" She trailed off. She had almost spoken about her mother; an act that was forbidden by an unwritten law. It had been so long since she even had to monitor the rule that she had almost forgotten it.

"Ah…" Noboru replied in a solemn tone, knowing exactly who else she was about to mention, "I see. That long ago?"

"Mizuki-chan…" Itachi called weakly from his spot against the wall.

"Insolent rat!" Katsuo yelled, "You will be far better off if you do not address the lady in that fashion! She is your superior and you will treat her as such!"

"Katsuo-sama…" Mizuki stopped him, placing a hand on his arm. She knew very well that Itachi didn't respond well to that sort of treatment. In fact, usually it only made matters worse. That was why she was so surprised to hear Itachi's response: "Of course… My apologies, Mizuki-dono… but I have… brought you a gift."

His tone worried Mizuki. His voice was so soft and weak… his morale low and fading. It almost seemed that he was going to slip out of consciousness at any moment. "A gift, you say?" Noboru asked with a raised brow, "Why?"

"I promised it to her," he explained, "I thought that it was time that I was ready to fulfill that promise."

"Where is it?" Katsuo questioned with suspicious curiosity.

"Among the things that the guards confiscated from me," Itachi explained, "Wrapped in a blue cloth."

With that Katsuo snapped his fingers and ordered the nearby guards to retrieve Itachi's things. But while they were waiting, there were still curiosities to be fulfilled. "Tell me, Uchiha Itachi…" Noboru began, "Why the interest in our Clan? Why have you left the Akatsuki to join us?"

"They were… planning to kill me off…" Itachi explained, "So I left them before they could. I thought that this was the safest place that I could come."

"And why should we protect you?" Noboru asked in an authoritative tone, "Why should we risk endangering ourselves for your sake?"

"Father…" Kayo called in interrupted in request to stop, glancing over at her sister and guessing how this could be affecting her. The man that she had once loved was being put on trial right before her; it may not have seemed like it, but his fate was actually being decided.

Noboru ignored his youngest daughter though, and waited for an answer. "You're right…" Itachi answered, "I can't ask that you risk your lives for the sake of my own… but isn't that what this village was meant for?"

"We take in rogues and rejects," Noboru corrected, "NOT refugees and wanted criminals."

"Do you really doubt the security of your own village that you would think it risky to do so?" Itachi rebutted his tone calm and suggestive instead of being temperamental and defiant like Mizuki would expect it to be. He had changed so much… On the other hand, perhaps he was simply too tired to argue.

But before the clan leader could reply, the guards returned with the requested item, wrapped in a dark blue cloth. "My lady," the guard said as he gave a bow and offered the present to Mizuki.

Then everyone seemed to watch as she slowly reached for the fabric and pulled it back, revealing a cylinder shaped jar with a most precious prize inside. It was so precious that all eyes went wide in amazement, even Katsuo's. Mizuki's sparkling blue stars even began to water at seeing it shining through the clear glass. "It's a… Lunar Rose…" she announced as she touched the glass that it was contained in, "I… don't know what to say… Thank you, Uchiha-san."

"I'm glad that you like it," he answered as a small smile came to his lips, his head lowering and his eyes closing as he finally slipped out of consciousness once again. The flower must have been the source for his condition… No man could ever leave Uchiha Itachi in such a state. The dangerous paths that lead to Lunar Roses often tested a man's mortality more than any beast or human. Itachi was one of the few who had done satisfactory enough on his quest to actually escape with his life. This favor was a great one indeed.

"Father…" Kayo said yet again, "Please give him a chance."

These were probably the first words of Kayo's that Noboru had taken into consideration ever since they had come down into the depths of the dungeons. "Father…" Mizuki added, "Please?"

And that was the final plea. One daughter Noboru could usually fend off when she was requesting something of him… but both daughters were absolutely invincible against him. "Very well then," he answered, "He will be confined to the village until I pass judgment, but when I do it will be the final word. He will either become one of us, or he will be put to death."

"Great," Katsuo said, "Then we have a deal!"

A nod was the only reply he received from the leader, then the wise man looked to the guards and addressed them, "Once he regains consciousness, take him to the visitor's house. And also… invite him to dinner. I look forward to having the presence of the infamous Uchiha Itachi at my table."

With that, he turned to leave, shortly followed by the others and the guards to escort them. Mizuki however stayed behind. No one objected or even seemed to take any notice than a simple glance behind. Katsuo was the last one to go out of the group as he stood behind Mizuki, slowly wrapping his arms around her as he nestled his mouth to her ear. "Don't even think about falling for him again," he warned, his breath on her skin sending chills down her spine, "Remember… You belong to someone: me. Forget that and you might just end up like your mother."

Then, without warning Mizuki pulled away from her fiancé's grasp, turned on him and struck him across the face, leaving him in shock and his cheek in pain. He touched his hand to the sore spot, and then looked up to Mizuki. "You'd better watch yourself, girl," he told her before turning and stalking off, leaving Mizuki alone.

Well… she was almost alone. "He must be very protective of you to even think that we would reignite the old flame," Itachi's voice sounded, causing Mizuki to turn around and face him. His head was still lowered but she could still see some awareness in his body.

"Not protective…" Mizuki shook her head, "Territorial."

"I don't see why," he admitted as he raised his head once more, "It seems to me that he already has you. Why worry about other men?"

"It's not other men that he worries about. It's me he doesn't trust."

"And why is that? Does he doubt your loyalty?"

"I have no loyalty to him to begin with, and he knows that."

Itachi was silent for a moment after hearing this. "You don't love him?" he asked, "Then why are you with him?"

"Love has nothing to do with the marriage of a Hizoku princess," Mizuki explained.

"Marriage?" Itachi repeated with surprise, "That bastard is your fiancé?"

"Yes. I don't see why you should care though."

"I don't. It's not any of my business."

"That's right. It's not."

"Fine."

"Fine."

And then came the silence that seemed to be as soft as thunder in a raging storm. Mizuki had to say something to fend it off. "You've changed, Itachi-san. You look so different."

"I would imagine so," he answered, "But if it's any consolation, you have changed as well."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Another pause. "No," he told her so softly that Mizuki could scarce believe she understood him, "No, it's not." Then yet another pause. "My gods… Your eyes… They still have the same sparkle that I remember. Unlike the rest of you, they have stayed the same."

"I wish that I could say the same for your eyes," Mizuki replied.

"What about my eyes?" Itachi questioned as said red orbs stared through the darkness at her.

"All I can say is that Katsuo-sama should be able to rest easy knowing that all I see in your eyes is the same Uchiha Itachi everyone else sees," she told him, "The Itachi I fell in love with is gone… and I couldn't be more thankful."

With that she turned on her heel and stormed away. Unfortunately she didn't get too far before he stopped her, "Wait!"

And even though her mind told her feet to continue on, her heart and soul overpowered it and made her turn around. "Yes?" she asked as she looked down the row at him, "What is it?"

"You said… you fell in love with me?"

"And back out again," Mizuki added as not to linger on the subject, "I was a child. I was foolish. For the gods' sakes, Itachi-san! I'm almost twenty years of age! I can't linger on childhood flings!"

This time she really did turn around and leave him. He didn't stop her so therefore she was able to escape without single backwards glance. How dare he come here? He had no right! He must have had some idea what coming here would do to her! He must have known that he couldn't just come here and expect Mizuki to act like everything was okay! Everything wasn't okay. She knew that immediately as she could feel tears stinging at her eyes trying to burst out when Mizuki wouldn't let them. She refused to cry over such a stupid thing like she used to before! Mizuki wouldn't cry over Uchiha Itachi any longer! Of course this thought was long lost when the tears began to spill out and onto the dungeon floor. "Damn you, Uchiha," she said through gritted teeth as she clutched at the spot at her chest where Itachi's Akatsuki ring still hung around her neck to this day. She had never disposed of it. No one knew of it; not even Kayo. It was Mizuki's best kept secret because it was the only proof that she could possibly still have feelings for him. Then she let a few more tears fall before wiping them away and going to the exit. However it was just as she was reaching the door that another voice called her back, "Mizuki-chan!"

With that, slowly she turned around to see three figures. Two of them were unidentifiable as they wore the common uniform of a Hizoku soldier. The third, on the other hand, she recognized immediately. "Saturo-tama!" Mizuki shrieked as she saw his armor clad form in front of her, that familiar and warm smile on his face, "You're home!"

"Don't forget about us!" one of the other soldiers greeted as they both removed their helmets to reveal identical faces.

"Aki-kun!" Mizuki shrieked, "Haruo-kun! You guys too?"

"Yep," one of the twins answered with a cheery fashion that told Mizuki that he was Haruo, "The entire unit is back. Most of them went through other gates though. There should be singing and dancing in the streets in no time!"

"So where's the rest of the welcoming committee?" Saturo questioned as he ran a hand through his short black unkempt hair.

"We were all actually just heading back up to ground level before you came," Mizuki explained, "We'd better get up stairs. Father will be most pleased to see you!"

"Then let's not keep him waiting!" Saturo smiled as he began making his way to the exit way, "I'll see you guys later after everything has calmed down."

"Sounds like a plan," Aki called as the prince disappeared up the stairway, his sister following shortly after him.


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Be Our Guest

**Dulcet:** Oh, my gods! It's been so long since I've updated!

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**Chapter Sixteen: Be Our Guest**

The bright light of the sun stung Uchiha Itachi's red eyes as he was led unshackled by two guards to the outside world. It felt so strange to be outside again although he couldn't have been imprisoned for more than a few days. Maybe it wasn't actually being outside that felt peculiar, but the place that he was brought to. The Village of the Hizoku was very different from the picture that he had imagined. Knowing it that was the Atlantis of villages, he had suspected that it would have been smaller and better hidden, perhaps under the cover of trees or on a secluded and uncharted island. But no, this place was quite the contrary to what he had imagined. This place was huge! Buildings towered high above the ground and though their architecture was out-of-date, they were still quite impressive. And as he looked around at this grand place, he couldn't help but wonder how no one had been able to find it so far. A jutsu of some kind maybe? Then just as he pondered this, he found the answer as he looked above him and saw that he was looking up a domed shaft large enough to fit all of this. The walls were of grey stone and he could guess that it was now around noon since the town was perfectly covered in sunlight, excepting spots around its perimeter that was shrouded in cool shadow. But he also noticed that the people of this secret sanctuary were very festive at the moment as they cheered and smiled. It was a strange sight indeed to see such celebratory spirit in the streets of this strange town. In fact, even one of the guards escorting Itachi had a hint of a smile sneaking onto his face. The other let it come easily. "Might I ask what all this jubilation is about?" the outsider questioned as he peered around at the sights.

"Our main group of soldiers has returned!" the cheery guard replied, "They've been gone for so long... Now they've come home to see their families."

"Well, I can understand being so happy, but isn't this a little... much?" he asked as he noticed streamers and confetti flying everywhere and people cheering. It was easy to pick out the soldiers because of two things: They were either still in uniform or had removed it and were now being smothered by friends and family. Why was everyone so happy?

"Of course not!" the first guard protested, "This is like a holiday for us! This regime only comes home once a year and then its members are switched out so they will be stationed here, and soldiers like us can go out in the field instead."

"Hush!" the more serious man scolded, "You can't just go telling foreigners about how the village operates like it's insignificant!"

"But isn't it?"

"Maybe to us, but you never know what sort of information the enemy can make use of!"

"Oh, c'mon! Lighten up, gramps! This is a happy day!"

The other soldier grumbled in disapproval, but did not say much more. He didn't seem to want to argue with the ignorant youth who was probably younger than Itachi. So... if this boy was a soldier at such an early part of his life, how young did these people start training their warriors? It must not have been much younger than any other place; starting at childhood and going on from there. But what sort of system did they have that would allow a character such as this boy to go into combat?

Itachi then noticed that he was slowly being led away from the light of the sun and into shadow, headed towards one of the many cave entrances that lined the stone walls of the village's perimeter. This passageway was poorly lit by torches, but Itachi was soon able to see better as his eyes adjusted, which was just in time to see that the group had come to a crossroads; one path was still illuminated, the other however, was as dark as night with no light at its end. They of course followed the lighted path. But as they went along Itachi came to realize that this place was actually a labyrinth where you could run into spots that had two to five paths to choose from at a time while all the while only one was lit by torches, which they followed the entire time. "Where do the other paths lead to?" Itachi asked with a touch of curiosity in his voice as it reverberated off of the walls.

He received no answer from either of the men, not even the youth who had seemed to become very somber now. From what Itachi could see of him it was as if his frown had instantly aged everything about him so that he now had the persona of a full-grown man instead of the lively youngling he had been only minutes ago. Everything, from his eyes to the way he moved was matured. Maybe this was why the Hizoku children were recruited so early; they seemed to be able to transition from their casual selves to a disciplined soldier in a heartbeat, probably something that not even Itachi could do. After all, he had no 'casual' side. He was one hundred percent disciplined. However, if he did have one he knew he would not have been able to separate the two, this having been tested little over two years ago when he had been reunited with Mizuki.

Still, the silence suited him fine. Itachi was perfectly content with glancing about the cave walls and examining them. What was strange was that they seemed so naturally made, yet this had to be impossible. They were too well planned out. Further investigation would have to be applied.

Finally, they stopped at a dead end with a large door in the wall. "You will be stay here until Noboru-sama says otherwise," the older warrior explained, "You are also expected to dine at his table tonight. You may walk around the village until then and come to the palace when the sky turns."

With that, they bowed their heads and left Itachi where he stood. The man watched them disappear around a corner before he turned back to the door, reaching for its knob and opening it. Behind the door was a most beautiful and elaborately decorated room. Its colors were cool and calming, consisting of blacks, blues, purples, and reds with others. It was to his liking, for the most part. The only thing that he didn't seem to be partial to was that it was too luxurious for his lifestyle. He had never before stayed in such quarters as this and felt unaccustomed to it already. Still he stepped in and closed the door behind him, taking in every detail. The first thing that he chose to investigate was the ivory wardrobe, which he crossed over to and opened. Its contents were most pleasing to him, mostly because of the darker colors that he had been offered. He selected the sleeve of a random article and examined it, a frown forming on his mouth. These clothes were finer than he had thought at first sight. The embroidery was deftly sewn and the material was not the sort that a common man could afford to wear every day. It was only yet more extensive perks. So, he sighed and closed the door. He was so tired… He might as well relax a bit before he ventured out.

He walked over to a nearby couch and plopped down on its soft cushions and pillows, letting his arms rest on the top of its back, closing his red eyes and letting his head fall back. Then a moment later, he opened them again and lifted his head to see a most shocking sight. He was looking in a mirror to see his reflection and what he had become over the past few days of interrogation and imprisonment. His clothes were in disarray. His hair had fallen out of its regular ponytail and was messy and tangled. He was dirty, smudged, and scraped all over. Just by looking at himself he knew that he would have to make himself presentable before he could do anything. So, he looked about for something that he could was up with; a wash basin or a sink, maybe. Instead, he noticed another smaller door, which he went over to and opened.

This led to a bathroom with a similar theme to the room, but the floor here was not carpeted and its walls were much barer so that the grey rock walls could be seen. There was a small waterfall inside which ran to a small spring, which then overflowed to a river that ran along the far wall. The river continued to flow to the opposite wall, where an opening allowed the water to flow out of the room and to the underground. After taking one last look around, he stared over at the small spring, and then began to remove his rags of clothing.

Once fully nude, he went to the small pond the waterfall fell into and found steps carved and waiting for him. Itachi stepped in, bracing himself for the icy bite of the water, only to be surprised that the water was quite warm. No longer fearing its temperature, Itachi waded into the bath and sat down, the pain in his weary muscles instantly melting away. It was as he began scrubbing himself down that he a single though went through his head and that thought being that he could really get used to this place.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: The New Guy

**Dulcet:** Hey guys! I haven't updated in a while, so I decided to make up for it with a really long chapter chalk full of my crappy diction and plot line!

**Koneko:** What are you talking about? You didn't make it long on purpose...

**Dulcet: **Yeah... BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO KNOW THAT!

**Koneko:** Enjoy and reveiw, cuz NONE of you reviewed on the last one...

**Dulcet:** A bit disappointing really...

**Koneko:** You should all be ASHAMED!

**Dulcet:** Don't say that! It was probably our fault anyway...

**Koneko:** Okay, let's just stop this so that the readers can get to the story!

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: The New Guy**

After finally coming out of the spring, Itachi wrapped a waiting towel around his waist and then headed out of the small cavern and back into his room in search of a change of clothes. However, he stopped at glancing himself in the mirror once again. Now that he was cleaned up, he was able to take a better look at himself than before. Leaning on a table in front of the mirror he sighed as Mizuki's earlier words cam back to him, _'You've changed, Itachi-san. You look so different.'_

Itachi knew that he had changed mentally-or rather, he had regressed to his original self-but he hadn't changed that much physically... Had he? That's when he began to take himself in in greater detail, trying to figure out if he himself had changed as much as he thought Mizuki had. Yes... he indeed had done his share of maturing. True, his face was nearly the same having only had little progressing to experience in the past two years, the few inches of black hair gained being the biggest characteristic change, but his body had definitely gone through the most noticeable transformations. He had grown moderately larger in height, but only slightly larger in physique. His shoulders had broadened and his muscles had increased due to constant and grueling training. It was probably his matured body that Mizuki had been referring to then, not his face. At this thought, an amused smile played on Itachi's lips. Of course **that** would be the first thing Mizuki would notice about him after not seeing him for so long. Mizuki might have recovered from their 'childhood fling', but her attention to his physicality must still be as entertained as ever... if not more.

In fact, Itachi actually chuckled to himself at this revelation as he began to make his way to the wardrobe. Opening it, he began scanning for what he would wear, and when he found it he would make sure that he could use it to easily play with this new knowledge he had just deduced. For now, he would just have a bit of... _**fun**_ with this.

* * *

Itachi had to fight himself not to let on a smile as he happened to spy the results that his selection of finely embroidered clothing had on some people, mostly females. There were no spectacular qualities to these garments besides the care that was put into their decoration, but he had been fortunate to find them... Well, this was at least true for the shirt. The top half of the ensemble was simple enough: a shirt that had every last clasp done, which had at first bothered Itachi, especially around the neck for he was much more used to a looser, comfortable fit. When he had first put the shirt on it had felt very constricting around his entire torso since it was such a snug yet somehow appropriate fit, but he was glad that he had adjusted for the sleeveless top had this test run encouraging most favorable results. It appeared that his ensemble complimented him very well and judging by the way that all of the girls that he passed on the street seemed to sneak pleased and interested glances, they would seem agree with him. Now, he could only hope that it would have the same effect on his true target, otherwise this just wouldn't be any fun at all.

That was when he came to his destination. The Hizuko Castle was a splendid one indeed and was actually similar to others he had seen. Then again most castles he had ever seen he had seen by nightfall while breaking into them and sneaking around. Never before had Itachi been able to actually admire one of these structures, but upon looking around he also found that such things were of no interest to him. So, with that out of his mind he turned back towards his goal: finding Mizuki. "Excuse me," he addressed a nearby person, who appeared to be an employee, "Would you happen to know where I could find Hizuko Mizuki-dono?"

At first, the poor girl could only stare. Itachi couldn't tell if it was because he was a new face or for a reason that was similar to that of the countless girls that he had passed outside. "You're... Uchiha Itachi... aren't you?" she asked him in a weak voice that seemed to be on the verge of trembling.

"I am, but that does not answer my question," Itachi responded with a bit of edge, quickly becoming impatient with this girl but trying his best not to show it in case he got on the wrong side of the locals, "Now, will you kindly tell me where I can find the Lady Princess?"

"Her Highness is with the rest of the royal family... at the sparring grounds," the worker was finally able to answer.

"And where pray tell are the sparring grounds?"

"Just keep following this main hallway," the girl seemed to finally be regaining her speech along with a slight tint of red to her cheeks as she continued to stare at Itachi, "It's not far."

"Thank you," he told her with a nod of his head before leaving her and following her directions. It was rather strange... he hadn't imagined that his attire would inspire attentions of these extents. Perhaps it wasn't the shirt that boasted his muscular form and revealed his strengthened arms that was doing the trick. The gawk of that last girl had been centered on his face. She had barely even glanced elsewhere. Itachi stopped in his tracks. It was his eyes. He couldn't be positive, but he suspected that maybe she had been looking at his eyes. Perhaps all of the other girls would have reacted differently than they had seen them too and perhaps acted more like that last girl had if they had only seen his eyes... Did they disregard him so harshly there? So that all of those swooning girls maybe would have converted into disgusted locals if they had only had a good look into his red eyes?

Itachi shook his head to clear his thoughts. What difference did it make? It was not their approval that he was after anyway. What did he care? Then again... if that was the way that they would act, that wold probably mean that all villagers would act like that and that wouldn't have been good. Itachi would need the trust of this village to pump it for information. That shouldn't be too incredibly difficult. Itachi knew that he only had to do two things to accomplish this goal: avoid suspicion and earn the leader's trust. That shouldn't be too difficult, considering that he would just need to gain approval of someone close to the leader so that they could convince their ruler to trust Itachi. The best thing was that he already knew who his victim would be. "Mizuki-dono," Itachi greeted with a faint smile as he came the small group of nobles that were gathered on the deck that surrounded the sparring grounds, "I am so glad that I finally found you!"

"Have any difficulty in your search?" the princess asked, not seeming to take any notice of his freshened appearance much to Itachi's disappointment.

"No. One of the workers was able to point me in the right direction."

"Well, that's good news!" Noboru commented, "And I hope that you found your room accommodating?"

"To tell you the truth... it's a little more than I'm used to," Itachi admitted, "But I think that I could easily get used to it."

"Glad to hear it," the elder leader smiled.

Then, a sound arose from the other young man as Saturo reminded his father of his and his sister's presence. "Ah! Right!" Noboru exclaimed as he stepped over to his offspring, "I know that you have already met Mizuki-chan, but I would also like to introduce you to my other children. This is my eldest son, Saturo-kun, and my youngest daughter, Kayo-chan. Children, this is Uchiha Itachi-san."

"Uchiha Itachi?" Saturo repeated with both surprise and amusement, "I never thought that I'd see the day when you would be in this village as a guest, Uchiha-san."

"Nor did I," Itachi agreed, "I feel grateful that I was accepted as a guest, though. I cannot thank you enough for releasing me from that prison, Your Majesty."

"Far be it from a father to deny the request of his beloved daughters," Noboru smiled, "Besides, it was no trouble. If matters come to worse and you don't pass judgment, we can always kill you."

"I assure you, that won't be necessary," Itachi lied.

"Well, well, well!" a new voice broke in as Katsuo approached the railing of the deck from the arena that he had just been taking part in, "Uchiha Itachi-san... You clean up rather nicely, don't you? Why, you could almost pass as civil!"

"Katsuo-sama..." Mizuki scolded in Itachi's defense. Her fiancé took no notice of it though.

"So, what are you doing around here, Uchiha-san?" Kastuo questioned, "Looking for a spar?"

"No, actually," Itachi replied with a steady coolness, "I was just looking for Mizuki-dono."

"Why?"

"Well, her being the only good acquaintance I have, I think I would prefer to stay near her."

Katsuo waved a hand at that idea as if swatting it away. "Then I think that it's time you get a few new acquaintances," he suggested in a cheery mood, "We wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable around any of us."

"That's a good idea," Noboru agreed, "Kayo-chan... why don't you be Uchiha-san's escort around? Is that alright with the two of you? Good! Then would you like a tour of the castle?"

"Maybe some other time," Itachi politely denied, "For now, I think that I will just try to relax and adjust to these different surroundings."

"Good idea," was all Noboru said to him before turning back to Katsuo, "So what do you think, Katsuo-san? How are my people fairing against you in the ring?"

"Mediocre," Kastuo answered, "I've been able to defeat them all, though I must admit that most are worthy adversaries."

Itachi didn't listen to much more of the conversation for he just then was leaning down to Kayo, who was maybe a head and a half shorter than he and whispered, "What is this place used for anyway?"

Kayo, like the common worker girl from before, didn't speak at once. Her response was less severe, luckily, for she only gave him a quick up-down before returning her gaze to the training warriors in the clearing beyond them. "This is where warriors come to practice and hone their battle skills," Kayo replied, "...though I can hardly call it good practice."

"And why is that?" Itachi went on with the conversation that went unnoticed by the others, "They all seem to be doing well."

"I say that because there are different circumstances training here than there are fighting out there," Kayo explained, "There are rules, boundaries, and not enough to prepare warriors for fighting in the outside world."

"Enlighten me on the matter, if you would."

"Well, the rules are simple enough," Kayo began, "Both parties must be willing to partake. Terms of the fight are unrestricted so long as no law of the village is broken. No jutsus. No killing. The first one to draw blood in any match is the automatic victor. The first one to step out of the boundaries of the ring is the automatic loser. I myself prefer watching brawls."

"Brawls? What sort?"

"Brawls are exactly like sparring, except they are done outside of the village and there no longer any more rules," Kayo told Itachi as she looked over at him with big brown eyes, "There is even an unwritten code that tells the Hizuko to never accept defeat on these terms, just like in a real battle. This is often the result of them pushing limits farther than they should go, resulting in death or serious injury."

"So... Hizuko members... kill each other in these brawls?"

"Sometimes."

"Why? What are they fighting over? Power? Pride?"

"Not usually. Pride fights are done in sparring. Brawls are usually the result of arguments that two members cannot solve. The few that I have seen were either over money or women."

"Women!" Itachi mimicked with surprise, his eyes very briefly glancing over to Mizuki, "That is absolutely medieval..."

"Well, sometimes we just need a solution to these things," Kayo shrugged, "People in brawls would end up fighting anyway over certain problems. We try and solve matters before things can turn that badly, but sometimes we just can't do it, which is why the majority of brawls are over women."

"Why not let the women choose?" Itachi scoffed with a raised brow, thinking the matter of men and women simple enough.

"It isn't always that simple," Kayo answered, shaking her head, "There are a few occasions where that option is given, but the woman can't decide and **_she_** suggests the brawl. But most occasions usually concern girls of noble rank or girls that are tied by the law to one man."

"Aren't girls who are inescapably betrothed to one man usually noble anyway?"

"Not here. In this village we have a very firm belief: That each woman is to bedded by only one man in both of their lifetimes. If two unmarried parties ever indulge in sexual affairs, by law they must be married at a date set by the parents. However, that law can also be ignored if they are not married by the time they die or by the time that they turn nineteen."

"By the time they turn nineteen? Why is that an exception?"

"Because at age nineteen we enter adulthood," Kayo explained, "All of our sins of childhood are erased as we become adults."

"But what would happen if a woman were to bed two _different_ men in one of those stages?" he asked, becoming very curious in the way that these people composed, abided, and carried out their laws.

Kayo seemed reluctant to answer this and Itachi could even see a slight tremor in her being as she stared out at the sparring fighters, even though it seemed she wasn't really looking at them. "Women who sleep with a man that is not the one that they should be loyal to...are executed."

"That's a little.. harsh, isn't it?"

"Infidelity is one of the greatest of sins here," Kayo told him, "We execute all cheaters and traitors."

"Excuse my asking, Kayo-dono, but how old are you?" Itachi asked, seeming to change the subject temporarily.

"I'm fourteen years old," Kayo answered, "Why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking that this was a touchy subject for such a young lady," Itachi commented, "Do they teach every girl these things at such a young age?"

"We figure it out as time goes by... Some time in our life we have to live most things before we are taught about them."

"And since you've lived these events, you can tell me who gets executed more often; cheaters or traitors?"

"Why do you want to know?" Kayo interrogated with a suspicious brow arched.

"Just curious..." Itachi defended, trying to seem indifferent.

"Well-" Kayo began, but she was interrupted.

"How about it, Uchiha-san? You are no doubt a strong guy," Katsuo teased, referring to how Itachi appeared at present, "Feel like sparring?"

"Maybe some other time," Itachi rejected testily. He wasn't in the mood for games at the moment.

"Too bad..." Katsuo sighed, then turned to the other fighter in the lot, "How about you, Saturo-sama? Fancy a go?"

The Hizoku prince only stared at the other man for a moment or two, wearing a most serious expression which anyone hardly ever saw on him when he was going about his daily life. It was obvious to even someone like Uchiha Itachi who had only known Saturo for less than a day that he had a most agreeable and amiable character. But for reasons unknown to the newest foreigner, the gleam in Saturo's eye would instantly die out at the very presence or mention of Katsuo.

"I can see that you've improved your skills, Katsuo-san," Saturo said, a smile returning to his expression, "That is of no doubt. I'm afraid I will have to decline you all the same for I know that though your skills **have** been sharpened mine are far sharper still."

"Then you should have no problem in defeating me then," Katsuo remarked, "I'm sure this won't take long."

"Go on, Brother," Mizuki's cheerful voice insisted, "I want to see how you both have improved over the year."

Once again Saturo frowned. To deny an opposition was simply done by him. He often preferred not to fight anyway. However, denying his younger sister was another thing entirely for him. Saturo nodded to her and approached the railing that separated the outside arena and the deck of the castle. There was something in the way that Saturo tightly gripped the rail that told Itachi that the prince was now anticipating this fight. These thoughts were only confirmed when Saturo whispered something that only Katsuo could hear. And though the message was only audible to Saturo's opponent, Itachi could still pick up on it for he could read the words that the speaker's lips were forming: _'Let's just hope that you've actually spent your time here training instead of just philandering about with my sister.'_

Katsuo smiled at this and replied, _'Then you will be most displeased to know that I have done plenty of both.'_

With that Saturo wasted no time in jumping over the railing and wrestling Katsuo to the ground, commencing a beating. Katsuo escaped, however, and the fight raged on, almost as furiously as Saturo's temper. Itachi turned away from them. He then looked to Mizuki. What had happened in this other part of her life that made it so confusing to Itachi? What had he missed to make it so that he had to realize that there was something about her that he didn't know?

Meanwhile, the two men went at it every which way they could. They threw punches and kicks left and right. They threw kunai and attacked with swords. At one point, Katsuo even threw an elbow that headed for Saturo's face. He had fortunately been able to dodge it, but to Itachi's surprise, it was not called. "Is it legal to elbow someone?" Itachi asked, this time the question being directed towards Mizuki, who was now standing closest to him.

Kayo was the one that answered though, "Of course. I told you the rules and those are the only ones there are. Anything else at all goes."

Itachi took this chance where everyone else was distracted to approach Mizuki. "Your fiancé seems to be quite the fighter," Itachi commented, "As is your brother. They seem to be keeping up with each other well enough."

Mizuki said nothing for a few moments. "Indeed," she said softly, "I only hope that the results are as last time."

At this, gathering from the early conversation before the fight, Itachi could guess that Katsuo had lost the previous fight with Saturo. "You would choose your own brother over your fiancé?" Itachi asked, "You must have strong ties with him then..."

"My adoration for my brother hardly has anything to do with it," Mizuki corrected, "Yes, I would like for him to win... but I want Katsuro to lose more."

"Why do you dislike him so? What has he done to wrong you? He seems very devout and amorous. So why?"

"Dislike is a very mild term for how I feel towards that man..." Mizuki said through a clenched jaw, "I hate him... Besides, it's none of your business."

Itachi didn't say anything for a few minutes as he let that last comment sink in. Mizuki had just said that she hated Katsuo. "What has happened to you?" he asked her, a little concerned.

"Excuse me?"

"The Mizuki I knew was incapable of hate..."

The princess looked to her nearby relatives to make sure they weren't listening and when she found that they weren't, she used a near silent whisper all the same, "Well you were an excellent teacher. After what you put me through I was able to learn hatred very easily."

Something in these words struck a wrong chord in Itachi and he took Mizuki by the arm and began leading her away. "Where are you two going?" Noboru interrogated, taking notice of the two for the first time since the fight had started.

"Mizuki-dono is showing me the gardens," Itachi dodged, "They must be breathtaking at this time of year."

"Indeed they are..." Noboru said with an unsure frown, "Continue on then..."

And without one more word Itachi continued to lead Mizuki away until he came to a passageway that was abandoned and nearly out of sight of curious eyes. "Don't you dare say you hate me," Itachi said in a soft and almost hurt tone, keeping up a front that deeply cared what Mizuki thought of him, "You know that I don't deserve that."

"And what will you do I **do** say it?" Mizuki threatened, "It would be the truth after all."

"What have I done?" Itachi demanded as he grabbed her shoulders and leaned down so that his eyes were level with hers, "Tell me at least that much so that I know how to fix it."

"You betrayed me..." Mizuki growled, "You led me on. You used your knowledge of our past to charm me... Then once I remembered the time we'd spent as kids, you... you... you reel me in! Then once you've had your fun and duty came back into question, you just acted like nothing happened!"

Itachi froze for a moment then slowly removed his hands from Mizuki's shoulders, straightening to his full height as he did so that he was looking down at her as he took a few steps away. So... That's what she thought had happened. No wonder she hated him. It would appear that **all **Hizukos relished betrayal. Well, the least he could do was to set the record straight. Itachi couldn't afford to have Mizuki hate him. He needed to gain her trust in order to gain the trust of her father... "I'm afraid you have your story wrong," Itachi corrected as he began to walk away from her, "I showed you indifference not because it was my choice, Mizuki-chan, but because it was my duty. I still loved you long after the day you left."

Now it was Mizuki's turn to go stone still, almost seeming to stop breathing even. "But how do you feel now?" she questioned him with less hardness than before but hardness present all the same.

This question caught the Uchiha off guard and stopped him cold in his tracks. He was silent as he thought of what to say. He needed her trust, so saying feelings still remained might be the easiest way, however, it could also backfire. By saying that he loves her, Itachi could be giving Mizuki a reason to avoid and ignore him since, like himself, her duties seemed to be more important to her than her feelings or else she wouldn't be marrying this Katsuo fellow. On the other hand, if he told her that he didn't love her anymore then she could possibly be offended, not to mention it might raise suspicion of why he had truly come here in the first place. What to do? What to say?

Luckily he was saved from answering as a third voice called out to Mizuki. "Mizuki-dono!" an approaching woman called as she made her way over to the two, "Mizuki-dono! There you are. I've been looking for you all day! Where have you been, young lady?"

"I'm sorry, Sasaki-san!" Mizuki said with a new smile that had not been there only seconds before, "I've been everywhere today. I've been spending time with my family so I haven't had time to seek you out today."

"Well, you're not with them anymore," the Sasaki woman pointed out as she wiped a wisp of her dulling black hair out of her face, "Speaking of who you are and aren't with... who is this?"

By the way that the stern woman was scrutinizing him with grey orbs as cold and hard as any steel or stone, Itachi could tell that she already didn't like him. However, he didn't know whether to care or not. Who she was to Mizuki and what influence she had over her would determine that. "Oh! I'm sorry. Please excuse me for not making introductions sooner, Saskaki-san," Mizuki replied, seeming to ignore the other female's unpleasant tone, "This is Uchiha Itachi-san. He is an old friend. Uchiha-san, this is Sasaki Haruka-san. She is my nanny of a sort."

"Glad to meet you," Itachi lied as he gave a small nod of his head. Judging by the way Mizuki spoke with this woman she held her in high regards. Of course, in the princess's eyes Haruka must have been more of an authoritative figure. Mizuki had never been too partial to authority. One had to make her decide to do what one wanted her to do. That is... unless she held them in high regards like Mizuki might hold this woman.

And though Itachi had spoken to Haruka, she only looked him up and down, examining him once more as if she could get all the information about his entire character by doing so. However, she gave no response to him. Instead, Haruka turned to Mizuki and said only this, "You should be with the others."

"Yes, we were just about to start heading back," Mizuki defended, "Let's go, Uchiha-san. Sasaki-san... Are you coming? Saturo-kun is there. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."

"He was, actually," Haruka explained, "I just came from there. The young sir had just finished brutalizing my nephew."

"What?" Mizuki gasped, even though Itachi knew that she was smiling on the inside, "He couldn't have hurt him that badly..."

"But he did indeed," the nanny contradicted, "I just hope that Katsuo-kun's nose has stopped bleeding by now and that your brother has regained some of his sense!"

"Oh, dear," Mizuki nearly whispered before turning and running down the hallway towards the sparring grounds like any other woman would have done for her significant other.

Itachi watched her go for a moment, then had his attention distracted as Haruka sighed. "I don't know why that girl tries so hard," she said to no one in particular.

"Excuse me?" Itachi question, "What is she trying at?"

"Not that it is any of your business, young man, but I'm sure that as her friend you've noticed that she isn't exactly fond of my nephew," Haruka explained, "The only reason she's marrying him is because she has to."

"I'm aware..."

"The poor thing must be trying to fool herself," Haruka sighed once more, "That is always her strategy. After her mother died she always smiled. She seemed happy. Though for the first few nights I could hear her crying in her room. Eventually... all of the smiling worked and she was happy again. Then there was that time after she'd returned from her mission three years ago..." Itachi's interest was immediately piqued at this. "Even though she requested to never go on another mission again she still trained. I had even caught her once or twice completely stopping, collapsing, and crying... She seemed to be working out a lot of emotions as she trained..."

Haruka must have realized what she was saying and who she was saying it to, for just then she waved her hand in dismissal and told Itachi, "Just forget you heard all of that."

Itachi nodded, then began to make his way down the hall, headed towards the sparring grounds. She had cried over him. This brought one thing to his attention: If she was still angry at him, then she wasn't yet 'over him' like she said she was. This meant that there was at least _some_ feelings left for him... Perfect.


	18. Chapter 18: Obligation and Conversation

**Dulcet:** -sighs- I guess you guys just don't care to review anymore...

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Obligation and Conversation  
**

"That looks like it hurt, Katsuo-sama," Mizuki commented as she held her fiancé's head in her hands, examining the bruises that were beginning to form on his face, "How can you be smiling after that?"

Katsuo only shrugged at this and then said somethin that only Mizuki could hear, "Because I like it when you pretend to care." Then he happened to glance over at the man who had just turned the corner and was returning to the group. Katsuo's smirk only seemed to grow at seeing Itachi coming at such a sweet moment when Mizuki was acting so affectionate. "Especially now that your ex-lover is around," he added.

Of course Mizuki knew who he was talking about. That didn't make the comment any less shocking. The fact that he had actually said something like that at all was enough to take her aback. Then again, it was not uncommon for Katsuo to say things no one would ever expect or believe that anyone would say aloud. The same spontaneity could also be said for his actions, which was also demonstrated in the moment that Uchiha Itachi was approaching the group, the demonstration being Katsuo taking advantage of Mizuki's temporary tolerance of him to plant a kiss on her lips just in time so that Itachi could get a good view of it. And on top of being able to kiss Mizuki, his daring deed provoked just the response that Katsuo had wanted from Itachi as well: Upon spotting the lip contact between the two, Itachi stopped in his tracks, seeming to stare a moment before moving on, a slower pace apparent in his walk. It wasn't until Itachi had gone by that Katsuo pulled away from Mizuki, who had only let to kiss go on for so long so that it would not seem unwanted by her to any others who might have seen. Mizuki had noticed what Katsuo had done and for what purpose and therefore immediately interrogated him about it, "Why did you do that?"

"Just reminding him that you're off-limits…" Katsuo answered frankly, taking hold of Mizuki's waist and pulling here closer towards him.

This was too close for comfort. Mizuki might have let the kiss go, but such talk as he was speaking disgusted her and she had to push him away, putting a good few feet of empty space between them. Katsuo seemed unaffected by this; he only continued to lean on the railing with that cocky smirk on his face. That man could be so territorial sometimes! She hated when he acted this way. It made her feel like some sort of.. of... trophy! "If that's the only reason, then stop it," Mizuki ordered him in a hushed voice, "You can sleep easily knowing that Itachi is just as indifferent towards me as I am towards him."

"And what makes you so sure that you're really out of love with him this time?" Katsuo asked as he folded his arms with the same arrogance that always seemed to be present in his personality.

"I'm sure because you're not the only one that helped me get over him this time," Mizuki nearly growled, "You had some help this time around from Uchiha Itachi himself."

"Come now, Mizuki-chan," Katsuo chided, "You know there are no secrets from me when it comes to you and him. Remember… I even know those few minor details about three years ago that you still have not shared with even your sister. I don't know how many times I wanted to throw a kunai at that Uchiha bastard for doing and saying what he did back then. You're just lucky that when I finally did throw one the only one that got hurt was that log. I never thought that it would take you so long to notice it, though. It dragged on so long and made me so sick I was ready to throw another one…"

"Katsuo-sama!" Mizuki exclaimed, "You really shouldn't speak so freely of those sorts of things. You never know who… or what… could be listening around here."

"Mizuki-chan!" Noboru beckoned, "Could you come here? I have a few matters that I want to discuss with you before dinner."

Hearing her summon, the princess obediently went to her father without so much as a glance at her fiancé. The only thing that she could think about right then was what Noboru could possibly want to talk to her about. "Follow me," he commanded as he led her away from the rest of the group and into the maze of hallways that was the castle.

They hadn't gone far, however, until Noboru stopped at a door, slid it open, and ushered his daughter inside the small room. After having both entered safety and privacy of the room, the lord of the palace closed the door behind them, then gestured to two cushions that were waiting for them. Mizuki took this cue and sat down on one, shortly followed by the sitting of Noboru. It was amazing to Mizuki that her father had absolutely no trouble sitting on the ground at his age. He was far from a senior, mind you, but was also no longer young, perhaps being somewhere in his forties. She wasn't even sure of her own father's age anymore... "Mizuki-chan," Noboru began, "I need to ask a favor of you."

"Anything, Father," Mizuki eagerly replied, ready to do anything for her beloved parent, "What is it?"

"I want you to do either of two things…" Noboru answered, "I want you to either investigate Uchiha Itachi-san and discover what his true motives for being here are-"

"Father!" Mizuki exclaimed, much to the surprise of both present. Mizuki had never before objected to Noboru in such a manner ever before… not even when he had sentenced her to marry Katsuo. Why she was so against his wishes now she did not know. "I'm sorry," she countered, "Please, go on."

And so he did, almost as if she had said nothing at all, "Or… you could teach Kayo-chan to do the job instead."

"Father…" Mizuki said in a tone much more calm and reserved than the previous one, "You know that that is hardly a choice at all. Kayo-chan is nowhere near ready for something like this. Her skills are hardly up to par for a proper spy."

"Then you're choosing to accept?"

"Why does it have to be me?"

"You're the only one that knows how to read eyes like you do," Noburo pointed out, "Just like your mother used to..."

It was silent for a moment. "She's the one that taught me..." Mizuki commented, only to have a few more moments of sober and awkward silence. This was just enough time for the princess to make her decision. There was never a question for her when it came to her feelings and her duty... usually. "I'll do it," she finally answered him.

* * *

"Uchiha-san," Saturo called to the passing man as he himself sat on the step of the deck, "Come over here for a second, will ya?"

At hearing this, Itachi paused, staring over at the obviously injured prince as he had a hand on his shoulder, wondering what he could want. So to find out he went over. "Yes?" he asked as he reached him, standing on the step that Saturo was sitting on.

"Do me a favor and help me pop my arm back into place?" Saturo requested as he looked up at Itachi.

"Do what?" Itachi questioned in surprise as he looked at Saturo's hurt appendage.

"My shoulder was dislocated in the middle of the fight," Saturo clarified, "I need someone to pop it back into place."

"Okay then..." Itachi agreed as he crouched down beside the other man, taking a hold of his shoulder with one hand and placing the other hand against his back. This wouldn't be the first time he would have to do something like this. It was only the fact that these sparring matches could be so severe that left him a little senseless at first. How could this have happened in the little time that he and Mizuki had been away? This fight must have been a very violent one. "On three, alright?" Itachi warned.

"Gotcha," Saturo nodded in acknowledgment.

"Get ready then," Itachi started, "One..."

CRACK!

"Ah! Gods..." Saturo exclaimed through clenched teeth as his arm was snapped back into its socket. Itachi had caught Saturo off-guard by doing the service unexpectedly, the result being that it surprisingly didn't hurt as much as it should have.

"Better?" Itachi asked as he circled around and sat down next to Saturo.

"Ah..." he sighed as he rotated his shoulder around, "Yeah. Thanks. That feels much better."

"No problem," the Uchiha replied as he himself gave a sigh. The two were silent for another couple of moments. Then Itachi did something that maybe no one had ever seen him attempt before in his life: he tried to start a conversation. "So how did you manage to dislocate your shoulder in the middle of a fight and still manage to win?"

"Well..." Saturo began, actually seeming to consider it and ponder an answer to give. A laugh escaped him as he thought about it. "I don't know. I don't think the fact that I basically lost the use of my left arm halfway through had anything to do with it. I'm better than Katsuo. I always have been and I always will be. I'll be damned before that changes."

"Why do you hate him?" Itachi accidentally let slip out, "I mean... You seem like a very good man until mention of him comes up. Did he do something wrong?"

Saturo let out a brief and scoffing laugh. "Did he do something wrong?" he mimicked, "He manipulated my sister into marriage against her will. How would you feel if someone came and destroyed your sister's happiness so that they could have their own?"

"Well... I wouldn't really know. After all, I don't have a sister."

"Right... just a brother. Sasuke, right?"

This caused Itachi a bit of surprise and caused him to look over at Saturo out of the corner of his eye. How did he...? Oh, well. Who knew what these people could know about other people? But by the way that Saturo was looking up into sky carelessly, this obviously wasn't one of the most guarded pieces of information that he knew if he could share it so easily. So, if things such as this were such minuscule secrets, what other sorts of things could they be hiding in this place? And where would they hide them? That's what he needed to know...

"So..." Saturo began, taking his turn to start up a different conversation, "How do you know Mizuki-chan again?"

"I was assigned to be her bodyguard when she came to visit my village with her father, her mother, and... you, actually," Itachi answered, his realization surprising him as the memory came back, "I think we actually crossed paths once or twice back then."

The serene expression on Saturo's face quickly began to melt away as he turned to look over at Itachi, frowning and occupied in inconspicuous thought. His brows furrowed together as he stared at Itachi, taking in what he had just said. At first Itachi took this as a sign that he had maybe said too much or said something that he shouldn't have. These worries were instantly relieved, luckily, as Saturo let his smile slip back onto his countenance. "Lover boy!" he laughed the nick name that he had given Itachi all those years ago coming back to mind, "I didn't even recognize you until you said that. That _was_ you!"

"I don't think that is an... appropriate name anymore," Itachi stopped him.

The other man only smiled his usual grin and nodded in agreement. "I would hope not," he went on, "But I remember those days. You two were so cute together!"

"Please, Saturo-sama, no more talk of that..."

"Sorry..."

"Saturo-kun!" Kayo called as she made her way over to the two, "Uchiha-san. We should be heading over to dinner now. It should almost be ready."

With that, Itachi's attention instantly was drawn to the reddening sky above. Sunset. Time had surely gone by much faster than he had noticed. "That time already?" Saturo questioned, sounding the surprise that Itachi didn't show. He even laughed out loud, "I forgot that you had dinner so early here." He rose. "Tell Father that I will be a little late. After that fight I think a bit of cleaning up is in order."

"Alright then," Kayo smiled, "Uchiha-san... Are you coming?"

Itachi only nodded for a reply as he stood and went to join Kayo.

"Don't be too long, Saturo-kun," Kayo called to her brother as he walked away from the two, "The place of honor is yours tonight."

Saturo turned a full 180 degrees to face them, not stopping his stride as he continued to walk backwards, smiling back at them. "Don't worry," he assured his sister, "I'll only be a few minutes. I'm sure you all will be able to manage without the 'guest of honor' for that long."

"Just don't take your sweet time," Kayo answered before turning her back to him and beginning to go her own way with Itachi at her side.


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Dinner With The Family

**Chapter Nineteen: Dinner With The Family**

The long dining table was packed with people from end to end. Noboru, of course, sat at his rightful place at the head of the table so that he could see all of his fellow friends and diners. Katsuo sat to his left, enjoying light conversation with his future-father-in-law as he normally did. And as always Mizuki was grateful that though she was forced to sit next to her fiancé, she didn't expect him to pay her any mind at the dinner table. Nor did she want his attention for she was perfectly content with chatting with her sister who sat across the table from her. There was one chair, however, that was still empty; the place of honor to Noboru's right was still left unoccupied. And though the man to the right of Mizuki was just chatting away with her father, the man on her left seemed more aloof than anyone else at the entire table. He seemed to eat his food slowly, deep in thought most of the time. Mizuki in no way seemed to care about this, but the other princess was not as cold. What could he be thinking about? "Uchiha-san," she called to him, trying to spur him into conversation, "How do you like your stay here so far?"

Itachi had at first been taken by surprise by the sudden address, but had just as quickly recovered as if he had been part of the nightly chit-chat all night. "The village seems to be very interesting, in my opinion," he replied, "It is similar to many that I have been to but very unique and truly one of a kind at the same time."

Suddenly, someone approached the table and greeted everyone. "Sorry that I'm late," Saturo told them, "I couldn't come to dinner in the state that I was in after the fight so I just wen to clean up."

Mizuki smiled at her brother. Although he claimed to have freshened up, there was one thing that she noticed: his hair. He had indeed seemed to remove the dust and dirt that had accumlated during the rumble, but his hair still seemed rather messy... not that this was unusual. His hair had always been a little messy at all times. It was almost untamable. And on top of its wild trait, it had grown much longer and unkempt over the year. It would have to be cut and soon.

"Ah, Saturo-san," Katsuo greeted, "Glad to see that your arm is where it belongs once again."

Saturo only smiled a tight grin at the man across the table from him, his jaw firmly clenched. "Well... I had a little help from Uchiha-san on that one," he announced, "Actually... I guess that I should be saying that I had a LOT of help from Uchiha-san..."

"Uchiha-san?" Noboru repeated, "You fixed my son's shoulder?"

"I did, sir," Itachi nodded as he spoke in a reserved tone.

"Well done," Noboru smiled over at him, then turned back to his son, "So, my boy, how has the past year treated you?"

"Fairly..." Saturo began, but both Itachi and Mizuki seemed to tune out after that.

Itachi noticed this and decided to take advantage of the fact that everyone else was distracted. "So, Mizuki-dono..." Itachi started up as the others were distracted by a different conversation, "How long have you been engaged to Katsuo-san?"

"Well... Do you remember the night that Hoshigaki-san and yourself came back to camp to find me crying?" she whispered so that absolutely no other but Itachi could hear her, having even leaned over towards Itachi as an extra precaution, "I was crying because Katsuo had just told me that my father had made our betrothal official."

"You've been engaged for that long and... still haven't gotten married?" Itachi questioned, finding it a little odd that such an arrangement would be so far prolonged.

"Yes," Mizuki confirmed in more regular tone, though this one was still on the soft side, "Father convinced Katsuo-sama to allow him to postpone the wedding as long as he could, so I am to be married the day before my nineteenth birthday."

"Shouldn't that be soon, then?" Itachi asked, a little taken aback.

"In a month's time the wedding shall take place," Mizuki confirmed, the slightest hint of steel in her voice that only those who knew her very well could detect.

"But why wait until the last possible moment?" Itachi interrogated, still a tad confused on the matter, "If he wished to delay the ceremony for as long as he could, then why did he consent to it in the first place?"

"What about you, Uchiha-san?" Katsuo interrupted at the worst possible moment, "Do you like parties?"

Itachi stiffened at this question and suddenly felt the urge to nervously cough. He resisted, however, but with much difficultly. "I wouldn't know," he answered, "The closest thing that I've done that resembled going to a party was walking through the streets of town during a festival."

All mouths seemed to drop surprise and appalling shock at this. "Never once in your life?" Kayo questioned. Itachi shook his head, a little annoyed that they all thought it so amazing that he hadn't ever been to any extravaganza of any sort. Parties weren't that big of deal... were they?

"Well, we'll have to do something about that, won't we?" Noboru laughed, "You should definitely join us on the night that we officially hold a celebration for the the return of the troops. Kayo-chan needs an escort anyway."

"Kayo-dono?" Itachi repeated with only the smallest trace of shock as he looked over to the girl sitting diagnolly across from him. It would seem that the poor girl was just as surprised as he was. She even had a little coloring come to her face.

"But... if anyone has ever escorted me to anything, it has always been you or Brother," she pointed out meekly to her father, "I... I've never... Do you think that..."

"I know, I know," Noboru agreed as he thoughtfully stroked his peppered beard, "But I think that the night of the party will also be the night that I release you into society."

At that moment, Kayo's eyes seemed to instantly ignite with joy. In fact, there was a serving of mixed feelings all around the table. Saturo seemed very concerned as he heard the news. Noboru had eyes beaming with pride in his daughter. Katsuo only seemed mildly intrigued, but otherwise normal. And Mizuki seemed absolutley terrified of what she had just heard, but no one seemed to be paying any heed to her besides Itachi. The girl had nearly gone stark white!

Why, you ask, was she so afraid at this new information? She was so scared because she knew what being released into society entailed. It was just a father's way of letting others know that his daughter was ready to be married off. The only reason Kayo thought it so exciting was because she believed that the boys would come to her quicker than ever now. This would probably turn out to be true, Mizuki knew, but it was still irrelevent for in the end, it didn't matter how many men came to woo Kayo. What it all came down to in the end was not who out of those men Kayo would love the most, but who among those men would provide the clan with the best match and alliance. Kayo thought of this as a chance at romance when all it really was was politics. No... it wasn't even that. It was more like an auction. Kayo would go to the man that had the most connections.


	20. Chapter Twenty: A Moonlight Stroll

**Chapter Twenty: A Moonlight Stroll**

Dinner seemed to be going rather well. Unfortunately though, Itachi still had yet to discover anything of great significance to his mission. It amazed him, however, how much he had been able to learn about the people here, though. In recap, his once good friend and beloved had been engaged to a man that she loathed for some two years now, having first learned about it when she was in Itachi's captivity as a hostage. Said man, Katsuo of the Suneku Clan, was indifferent towards his fiancé's hatred for him; he only cared that she 'belonged to him' at all. Nothing else—including how _she _felt about the engagement—seemed to matter to him. But it was because that he was so greedy in taking Mizuki that her brother's usually amiable disposition turned sour and disdainful at the very thought of Katsuo.

But out of all of this knowledge acquired, none of it was quite as valuable to him as what he had gathered about the Noboru's youngest daughter, Kayo. According to Itachi's observations, Kayo seemed very knowledgeable of all of this information and much, much, more, though her family seemed not to notice her knowing eyes. Itachi noticed her though, and she intrigued him greatly as he was able to glance over at her from time to time throughout dinner. She would have short spells throughout the meal as she listened to all that was said with a very attentive attitude, her big brown eyes gazing upon whoever was speaking as if hanging on their every word. All the while she went nearly unnoticed by others until these brief periods of time were broken by either someone occasionally speaking to her directly or if she herself spoke. Kayo had earlier told Itachi a good deal earlier about some of the Hizuko ways. Itachi couldn't help but to wonder what else she knew and how he could get her to tell him of her knowledge...

"Excuse me, everyone," Noboru finally sighed as he stood from his chair, "But it is getting late and I think that it is about time that I retire."

The present party all gave the elder their own farewells as he left the group, heading out of sight so that only the youthful remained. "What time is it anyway?" Mizuki questioned to no one in particular.

"It's about nine, if that clock is right," Saturo nodded to a father clock at the other end of the room. Itachi was impressed by the fact that he could see the clock's hands or numbers; it was a very good distance off. Most people shouldn't have been able to see it. He commented on this briefly, causing Saturo to smile in response. Kayo was the one that answered Itachi's compliment, though, "Saturo-kun has always had good eyesight, just as I have especially good hearing."

"Her sense of hearing is amazing, actually," Saturo added, "I'd swear that she'd be able to hear hushed voices speaking on the other side of the castle!" Then something caught his eye. "Show him, Kayo-chan," he told her as he nodded over to two servants that were talking just in the hallway just beyond the open door, "What are they talking about?"

Kayo glanced over at them a moment, then closed her eyes. The group waited... "They are discussing when they will go see their friends who have just returned home with the other soldiers," she finally announced, "They are excited about the upcoming celebration as well."

Itachi knew that she was right because he had read the speakers' lips. Kayo's explanation matched up perfectly and he was once again amazed at the heightened senses of the Hizoku children. "And what of you, then, Mizuki-dono?" he smirked, "Do you have any heightened senses?"

"No..."

"Don't be modest, Mizuki-chan," Saturo smiled, "She has the best one of us all... She has a very keen sixth sense."

"Is that so?" Itachi inquired with interest, "How so?"

"Well... I can sense when someone is close by and how near they are," she began, "I can sense when someone is looking for me or watching me. Sometimes, once in a blue moon, I can even sense someone's feelings and vague thoughts."

"Speaking of blue moons..." Katsuo stopped the conversation, having lost interest long ago, "There is a beautiful moon out tonight and I am sure that Mizuki-chan would hate to miss it. Why don't we all go for a quick walk in the gardens before bed?"

"That sounds nice," Kayo smiled as she began to rise from her chair, soon followed by the others.

"Shall we?" Katsuo questioned as he offered his arm to Mizuki, who accepted it with only slight hesitation and annoyance.

Then, Itachi went over to Kayo and did the same, offering his arm for the young girl to take. If he was to be her escort to the celebration and she his guide of the village during his stay, then he might as well start adjusting to her now. But before taking Itachi's arm, Kayo seemed hesitant though, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. All the same she accepted the strong arm that was offered and they were on their way, Saturo being the only one without someone to link arms with.

"Beautiful night out..." Mizuki sighed as she looked up to the starry heavens that could bee seen up above, "Maybe we could outside of the mountain for a better look?"

"It's too late to be doing that, Mizuki-chan," Saturo insisted, "We would have to go find a guide, then actually make our way through the tunnels, then take time to actually stare at the stars, which we could end up doing all night, then we would have to make our way back..." He trailed off and shook his head. "Maybe tomorrow night during the celebration, hm? We'll be up late then anyway. I'm sure we'll be able to sneak out unnoticed."

"Are you sure that you want to go tomorrow, Saturo-kun?" Kayo questioned, "I was really looking forward to... mingling."

"Well... You don't HAVE to come," Saturo said as he saw the error in his plan, "You could stay behind and mingle... or come if the pickings aren't too exciting."

"Please, Saturo-kun," Mizuki teased, "This is Kayo-chan that we're talking about. I'm sure that there will be more than enough interesting boys for her."

Itachi felt Kayo's hold on him tighten as she seemed to shrink with embarrassment at being teased so. But judging by the way that she didn't object, Itachi could easily guess that the statement was true. So... she liked boys did she? This might work to his advantage.

In response to Kayo's tensing, Itachi turned to look at Kayo, which in turn caused her to look up at him. He allowed their eyes to link for just a moment for that was all he needed to draw that hypnotized gawking expression onto Kayo's face. After luring out that look onto Kayo's face, Itachi averted his eyes once more and he felt Kayo relax a little more, though she kept her head low. For what reason, Itachi couldn't have been sure.

"Look!" Mizuki pointed, "Did you guys see that?"

Saturo had stopped in his tracks as he stared up at the sky in awe. "Yeah..." he said softly, not taking his gaze away, "Yeah, I saw it."

"Saw what?" Kayo asked, searching the lights on the dark background of the sky, trying to figure out what her siblings could be referring to.

"A shooting star..." Mizuki answered, not able to take her blue eyes off of the large mouth of the mountain, even though the star had already come and gone.

Saturo bowed his head and closed his eyes in a way that reminded Itachi of making a wish. What could he be wishing for? Then, Mizuki closed her eyes as well, but she kept her face up so that the moonlight could kiss her skin, her features calm and serene. Beautiful, just as she had always been in the moonlight. Then she opened her eyes once more and the group continued on. "What did you wish for?" Katsuo asked Mizuki.

A small smile came to her lips at this. "It's not really a question of _what_ I wished for, but **_who_** I wished for," she teased him, even though it still caused Katsuo's smirk to slide clean off of his face so that his mouth formed into a deep frown.

"Was this 'who' anther man?" Katsuo interrogated, causing a smile to form on the mouths of the others. They knew that Mizuki was only messing around with her betrothed, bothering him, getting under his skin. Well… everyone except Itachi. He couldn't really understand why everyone was smiling. Wasn't that sort of thing looked down upon here?

"Maybe..."

"Why do you have to do me like that?" Katsuo asked her, sarcastically acting heartbroken at her reply. It was then that Itachi knew that they were only playing at each other. Still he did not find it amusing. If anything, he thought it childish and sickening.

But even though Katsuo seemed to be playing with this he, unlike the others, took this information very seriously. He didn't want to dismiss something like this. He knew too well of how Mizuki could easily break the rules and look to another man to satisfy her. He had learned of that two years ago when he had watched over her as she had traveled with that Uchiha bastard and his freak of a partner. After that, he would take no risks of losing her to another man. He would not let her worm her way out of this, especially now that Itachi was here and their wedding drew near.

"Haruo-kun!" Saturo called to the figures that stood further up the path, "Aki-kun!"

Looking towards the figures, Itachi saw that the young prince had been calling to two men: identical brothers it would seem. They were just up ahead, now approaching the group. Both had the same long, full black hair that fell a little past their shoulders that barely moved as they approached the group. Both possessed a similar strong build that moved with as little effort as they could manage. Because of this, one would assume that both had the same green eyes. This was true, in a sense, for both of their eyes were a lily-pad-green, yet each twin's orbs seemed different from his brother's somehow. One had a certain twinkle in his eye that was aided by the smile that he wore. The other's had colder, stony, and concealing eyes that portrayed nothing but distrust for the world. Then, there was one final difference between the two. While the somber of the two had skin that seemed untouched, the other man did not. Instead, he had scars that resembled claw marks on his left cheek, running deep into his skin and very conspicuous, yet seeming insignificant after a few moments. It was these marks that told Itachi that both of these men had both been in fatal scenarios. They both probably had many more scars that he couldn't see. "Hey guys!" the scarred one greeted as the duo reached the group, "What's kickin'?"

"Not much, Haruo-kun," Saturo answered, "Just taking a walk. You?"

"Pretty much the same," Haruo answered, "We got a little bored and didn't know what else to do."

"So, you decided to sneak into the castle just to take a walk around the gardens?" Saturo questioned with a smile on his face.

"Pretty much."

Then, like he had already done so many times before during his visit there, Itachi tuned out of the main conversation. His gaze wandered over to the silent twin that stood next to his brother, only to find that this man that Itachi assumed was Aki was staring right back. Their cold gazes locked for a second, each man staring head on into the other's eyes. It was in those few moments that Itachi knew that this man was not going to be of any interest to him; however, Itachi would also need to be weary of him. Though Aki's eyes didn't express much, Itachi could still tell that this Aki fellow did not trust the newcomer.

"Oh, Haruo-kun... Aki-kun... I have someone I think that you should meet," Saturo smiled as he stepped over to Itachi, "This is-"

"Uchiha Itachi," Aki finished for him in a voice and tone that was unlike his brother's, "Yes, we've heard that he was in the village, but we hardly expected him to have been welcomed in so quickly. I see that we stand corrected... for here he is: strolling with the royal family with our leader's own daughter on his arm."

"Brother!" Haruo scolded, "Do not be so cold to him. If Lord Noboru has welcomed him here then so should we!"

"Lord Noboru can welcome as much treacherous filth as he wants," Aki went on in that monotone voice of his, "I will respect his wishes. I refuse, however, to simply hand out my respect and trust to a man like him."

At this, Haruo immediately turned to Itachi and attempted a smile. "I apologize for my brother," he told him, "He can be a little sharp sometimes."

Itachi only stood in silence, his eyes going slowly from brother to brother. He honestly didn't know whether to take offense to Aki's declarations for his harshness or to respect them for being so frank. So, he said nothing.

A yawn broke the silence to Itachi's left where Katsuo and Mizuki stood. The princess seemed to be getting tired. "I think I'll be heading off to bed now," she announced as she began to pull away from Katsuo.

Her fiancé only stopped her and took hold of her arm once again. "I'll escort you to your room," he told her with that wicked smirk that Itachi had come to dislike.

"Oh, that's alright, Katsuo-sama," she denied him, "I wouldn't want to trouble you."

"Nonsense," he contradicted her with a tighter, "It would be my pleasure."

"Yeah, I bet it would be and I'll have none of that," Saturo spat as he took his sister's hand and led her away from Katsuo. He didn't add anything else to that. He only continued to glare at Katsuo, who only received it with that same, pompous smirk, which only seemed to bring Saturo even closer to his boiling point.

"Please, Saturo-san," Katsuo chided with false superiority, "Don't make a scene. Relax. I'm marrying her for heaven's sake!"

"That may be so, but you aren't married _yet_," Saturo retorted, "And until you are you I have the right to protect her from you."

Katsuo only laughed and began walking away with one final reply: "You can't protect her forever, Saturo-san! I have a right to her too!"

In response, Saturo spat after him before turning to face everyone. It almost appeared that he was surprised to see the group standing there and it embarrassed him to know that they had seen what had just happened. For a moment he coughed nervously, then, in a quiet tone he addressed his sister, "Mizuki-chan... I'll take you too your room."

She nodded in concurrence and off they went, leaving the final four alone. "Hey, Kayo-chan," Haruo said, "Do you know if Katsuo is light sleeper?"

"Not especially..." Kayo answered after a moment of thought, "But it really depends... Why do you ask?"

"We'll tell you if Uchiha-san here can keep a secret," Haruo replied with a nod towards the silent man.

After a moment Itachi gave a nod.

"Okay then," Haruo grinned, "Brother, why don't you tell them?"

Aki rolled his eyes at his Haruo's apparent excitement. It didn't seem to thrill him how he was treating the situation. "We're going to do stuff to him while he sleeps," he answered, "He'll be waking up to a few nasty surprises."

"Ooh..." Kayo said with disapproval, "I wouldn't physically do anything to him while he slept. So much as a poke would wake him up. Any other traps and tricks you have though, just be quiet and whisper."

"A poke, you say?" Haruo repeated, rubbing his chin in thought, "What about a tickle?"

"I don't know..." Kayo answered, "Go for it."

"Alright!" Haruo cheered, much to Aki's displeasure, "Let's do it then! We gotta go get ready! See you guys later. Nice meeting you, Uchiha-san!"

And just like that Haruo darted off, leaving Aki behind. The abandoned twin only rolled his eyes in disgust at Haruo's overzealous nature, but ran after him all the same, leaving just Kayo and Itachi behind. "Those two..." she smiled and shook her head, "I don't see how they can be so different yet so close."

"They're brothers," Itachi answered, "There should be no more explanation needed than that."

"You're not close with your brother..." Kayo pointed out.

Silence was given to her as a reply. "I'm sorry," she told him, "I have no right to mention your brother so openly like that..."

"It's alright, Kayo-dono," Itachi told her as they continued on their way, only to be put to silence once again. "So... tell me about yourself," Itachi requested, looking out ahead of himself as Kayo looked up at him, a little surprised that he would ask such a thing of her.

"Well... what is there to say?" she began, "I was born Hizuko Kayo, daughter of the leader of the Hizuko Clan. I had a regular childhood. My parents were usually there for me like any other parent would be. I know it was hard for Father to find time in his schedule to see me back then. He was working hard to form ties with the Uchiha group... I remember that."

"The Uchiha Clan?" Itachi questioned, "Were... we your enemies back then?"

"No," she answered, "Not yet. We were neutral towards each other, but that wasn't satisfactory enough for Father. He wanted you as allies. It was hard to gain your trust though, for some reason... I think it was because we insisted on so much secrecy concerning ourselves."

"Wait... Yes. I remember," Itachi recollected the result, "Your father... decided to cancel the arrangements and ended up declaring us enemies."

"Yes..." Kayo nodded laconically.

"Why?" Itachi pried. He remembered being informed when the Hizuko Clan became foes of the Uchihas, but no one had ever explained for what reason. The only thing that he knew about the affair was that someone of his clan had been killed because of it... Itachi remembered the rage that he had felt when he had been told. He hadn't been angry because one of his own was dead; that happened in life. Instead, what had angered him was the fact that someone had messed up and that he would never be able to see Mizuki again. It had been his clan's fault one way or another that they had been separated, never to see each other again. It was out of love for Mizuki that he had grown to loathe his own people. It was out of loath for his own people that he had become the heartless killer that he was.

"Why declare you enemies?" Kayo repeated, "Umm... I'm not at liberty to say. We... try to forget what happened. That's what we do. Something bad happens and we never speak of it again like that will make it go away." She sighed. "Saturo-kun is the only exception for that belief. He talks about the bad things anyway. I swear... if he keeps saying what's on his mind he's going to end up in trouble. He has to learn to hold his tongue. I believe that you've already seen a few examples of how bad he is with that…"

And yet another piece of useful information: Saturo had a loose tongue then, did he? Maybe if Itachi spent time with the prince, something useful would slip out. "It's getting late," Itachi commented as he noticed that many lights inside had already been put out, "Would you like me to escort you to your room?"

"That would be nice," Kayo smiled, "Thank you."

Another few moments of silence.

"Itachi-san..."

"Hm?"

"Tell me honestly... Why have you come here?"

Itachi looked down at Kayo, scanning her face for some sort of sign as to why she would be asking. He only found curiosity.

"Sanctuary," he answered, giving a premeditated answer, "I realized that the Akatsuki was becoming too corrupt and began to question its authority. I later found out that I was to be killed, so I left. I knew that this would be the only place on earth, heaven, or hell that they wouldn't be able to find me, so I came..."

"How did you know where to find us, though?" Kayo questioned, "No one knows where we are."

"There had been rumors of people disappearing in this area," Itachi explained, "No one—not even the Akatsuki—would have been able to tie the disappearances to the Hizuko Clan. The only reason _I_ could was because I know that your people take in rejects and loners and those vanishing certainly matched that description."

"Very good, Uchiha-san," Kayo smiled, "So all you did was come into this area and in an instant the guards were upon you, eager to capture an enemy."

"Basically."

"Of course... I am finding your reason hard to believe..." Kayo admitted, causing Itachi to mentally tense, not allowing himself to show any signs of his stress. She couldn't possibly think...? No. She had nothing on him. She seemed good at reading people, but she could NEVER guess his intentions this early in the game…

"Why do you say that?" he asked her, "It's the truth, after all."

"Then why waste time in retrieving the Lunar Rose for my sister?" Kayo interrogated, "I don't think that you really came to escape the Akatsuki. I think that you came to reunite with Mizuki-chan. Am I right?"

Hah! What a naive girl Kayo was! She may hold many secrets but it seemed that she expected the better out of people. Poor girl... "I don't know what you're talking about," Itachi played along, feigning nervousness, "We're just friends."

"Please!" Kayo answered, "She told me about what happened two years ago. I know that you got far past the friendship mark."

"She told you, did she?" Itachi questioned, a little surprised that someone else knew about their meeting back then and what had happened between them.

"Yes, she did," Kayo answered, "And I, for one, am very disappointed at how you treated her before she left. Then again... I'm also a little curious... Why did you act so coldly towards her? I thought you loved each other."

Agh! There was that word! Love. How he could have ever felt it was a mystery to him. "I did..." Itachi admitted truthfully, "I just realized that I had my duty to consider."

"So you chose your mission over her?" Kayo said, her eyebrows furrowed in disbelief, "Well... I'm glad that you realized your mistake before it was too late."

"Realized... my mistake?"

"Well, yeah! You came back to her because you love her, right?"

"I really don't want to say..."

"Well, you don't have to because I know you do! And I have one thing to say to that..."

Here it comes... Kayo was probably going to tell him to go for it. Win over Mizuki's heart again, blah, blah, blah... When would this girl realize that even if he **had** loved Mizuki that it would be a hard thing to steal her out of an engagement such as the one that she was in? Kayo apparently was a romantic. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

"Stay away from her."

Okay... he wasn't expecting that...

"Why?" he accidentally blurted out.

"Mizuki-chan is engaged," Kayo explained, "She belongs to another man physically and legally. If you so much as hint to her or anyone else about the way you feel, you could be put to death."

"Death?" Itachi questioned, "Are you telling me that it is illegal to love an unavailable woman?"

"Well... sort of..." Kayo began, "It only applies to women who are legally bound by a contract to another man. If a man say... kisses an unavailable woman, he could be executed. They usually aren't though. Most of the time they are just thrown into the dungeon. However, if the woman kisses him back, she too could be imprisoned or killed."

"Harsh..."

Kayo shrugged. "Betrayal is the ultimate crime and deserves the ultimate punishment."

"How often does an execution occur?"

"Not often," Kayo answered, "The last one we had was..." She trailed off. "Oh, look. This is my room right here. Thank you again, Uchiha-san for escorting me." She hastily unlinked her arm from his, suddenly becoming nervous. "Good night." Then she went into her room without so much as waiting for Itachi's reply.


	21. Chapter TwentyOne: Party Time

**Chapter Twenty-One: Party Time**

_'It's for the good of the mission... It's for the good of the mission...'_

That's what Itachi repeatedly thought to himself as he looked around at the on-going party and all of the fun everyone was already having in this early stage. Now he knew why he had never been to one of these before: he wasn't a party type of person, being totally impartial to everything the events contained. He loathed idle chit-chat, he never liked to meet new people, and simply standing around was so boring! Unfortunately, that was what he expected to do for most of the night for that was basically all that he _could_ do since he didn't care to dance either. So, to pass the time as he waited for Kayo to come to the party, he tried once again to converse with Saturo, "Saturo-sama... Pardon my asking, but why don't _you_ have a girl to accompany you?"

"Are you kidding?" Saturo smirked, then threw one arm around each of his twin friends, "Who needs a date when I have these two to entertain me?"

Aki quickly ducked out of the hold, obviously against the contact, but Haruo lingered only for a moment. "Gee... Thanks. 'Cause we only live to entertain you, Saturo-kun," he said as he wore a sarcastic smile, then he slowly pushed Saturo's arm away and straightened. "He's just being modest. Saturo-kun usually meets girls at parties, so why bring one?"

"That would makes sense..." Itachi tried to agree, though like much else about the party, it really didn't catch his interest.

"Hello, ladies!" Saturo greeted, looking behind Itachi.

The Uchiha looked over his shoulder, then turned to the oncoming trio of Kayo, Katsuo, and Mizuki, the two girls each being led on an arm of Katsuo. The men all gave a small bow to the approaching ladies in greeting. "You both look lovely," Saturo smiled at his sisters, "It sort of worries me... Why couldn't you guys just stay little and innocent for the rest of your lives?"

In Itachi's opinion, there was nothing wrong with how they looked, even though he believed their attire to be simple for a party at court. The design of their kimonos was like any common one, but what made these robes special enough for noblewomen was what they were made of. The material seemed of the best quality of silk. Kayo's, like most other girls', consisted of bright colors. More specifically, she wore fiery yellow, orange, and red. Her sister wore colors that one might think of when walking through freshly fallen snow with silvers and blues delicately embroidered into the white silk of her dress.

The attire of the men was just as simple. However, their colors were of much more reserved shades. For example, Aki wore a sunset red based attire, Haruo wore a sleek and beautiful black, Saturo wore leafy greans, Katsuo wore white and black, and Itachi wore dark blues with silvers.

"Saturo-kun, stop it," Kayo urged, "You're beginning to sound like Uncle Kaze!"

"Can you blame me?"

Kayo only smiled at her brother, then turned to Itachi, her smile lessening somewhat as she looked him up and down, "Uchiha-san... You look rather handsome tonight."

Oh, great. She had complimented him. Now he would have to return it... "And you look lovelier than usual, Kayo-dono," Itachi replied, trying to stomach the statement. Yes, she did look very nice tonight, but he still hated complimenting people unless he _wanted_ to, which was not often. In this case, he felt more _obliged_ to. The Hizuko... He couldn't afford to be even somewhat impartial to them if he was going to succeed in his mission.

Then in the background the music switched up, signaling a new step to begin along with it. "Uchiha-san..." Kayo said as she transfered from Katsuo's arm to his, "Dance with me!"

"What? Wait!" he tried saying, but it barely came out before the couple was in place.

At first, Itachi was truly, totally, and completely lost for about five seconds, but then he realized that the dance was much simpler than it looked. If he just glanced around and watched other people he could easily catch up on it.

It hardly took any time at all for him to learn the steps but he still couldn't seem to find much enjoyment in it. Now that he had acquired the hang of pretending to know the dance, it became second nature to go along with it. That's when his senses wandered off elsewhere, causing him to notice something... a sweet smell that stimulated his senses and for an instant reminded him of his childhood and the times that he had spent with Mizuki. Why? What was that smell?... and why was it making him think of such things?

Eventually though, he realized that the aroma was coming from Kayo. It was her perfume that was so sweet smelling! It was her perfume that reminded him of all of those years ago when he was... happy. Yes, that was it! The smell was somehow triggering happiness and therefore reminding him of Mizuki. But how? How was a simple scent able to give such dramatic effects? And why was it making him think of **Mizuki**?

Itachi only dismissed the thought and tried to forbear the dance further, finding no regret or disappointment when the music stopped. Nor was he too much hurt when another man tapped him on the shoulder and said, "If it is alright with the young miss, might I have the next dance with her?"

Itachi had no trouble of complying by simply saying, "Of course. If she wishes it then I will hand her over. Kayo-dono?"

The young princess smiled shyly and nodded. "I'd like that."

With that Itachi passed the princess on, then went to take his place with the dubious trio of Saturo, Aki, and Haruo. "Having fun yet?" Saturo smiled.

"Well-" Itachi was about to answer, but he felt another and a much more unexpected tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Katsuo and Mizuki standing there, Katsuo seeming a little put-out while Mizuki gave a small smile.

"Katsuo-sama has given me permission to accept your proposal to dance."

"But I..." Itachi began, only to then willingly leave the answer unfinished when he saw that Mizuki's smiling eyes portrayed to him that she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. There was no winning with these girls. So, giving a sigh he looked over at Mizuki, offering his hand. "May I have this dance?"

"You may," she answered as she placed his hand in his, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor where they instantly set into motion.

_'This is so strange... Why did she ask me, of all people, to dance?'_ Itachi wondered to himself as he gingerly handled Mizuki,_ 'She's... toying with me. First she acts so friendly my first few days. After what we went through I can hardly expect a Hizuko, especially Mizuki, to forgive so easily. It almost reminds me of... She couldn't be...?'_

Yes! That was it! This was just like before! She was acting kind to him when she should be hating him! She was lowering his guard, just as she had two years ago. Well, if she thought that he would fall for that trick twice she had another thing coming! A slight smirk came onto his face as he mentally lifted the guise that Mizuki was wearing so that he could see her true intentions. "What are you smiling about?" Mizuki asked as they moved about the floor.

It was time to turn the tables. "Oh, nothing," he answered as they weaved, stepped, and turned. The only thing that he had to do was let her know that he was on to her... and then he would have to make sure that he earned her _real _trust back and soon.

"No... not 'nothing'," Mizuki insisted playfully, "Tell me."

"It's just that I noticed that you aren't wearing your comb with the carving of the Lunar Rose on it," he lied, "I think that it would have gone much better with your kimono."

Mizuki's eyes went wide at hearing mention of the comb. But just as she was about to respond, Saturo came and interrupted, "Hey, Uchiha-san. There's someone here who wants to meet you."

"Can't it wait?" Itachi growled.

"Yeah," Saturo shrugged, "But why keep him waiting? After all, I think you'll be interested in him. He was in your same position about a year ago. You know, earning his way into the clan... Come on. You should really come meet him."

Then he looked over to Mizuki who was ushering him with her eyes to go, so he had to assume that he had to go, otherwise she wouldn't be telling him to. So, Itachi obliged and left with Saturo, going to where the twins stood talking to the stranger with his back turned towards him. "Here he is!" Saturo announced, causing the group to look to the two approaching men.

It was in that moment when the stranger turned around that he ceased to be strange to Itachi. He recognized that face, though he couldn't quite recall why. The boy was maybe sixteen or seventeen, but it was obvious to even to Itachi's eye that he was not a natural Hizuko. Itachi had already noticed that natural clan members usually shared one similar quality: dark hair. This youth's hair was quite the opposite. His blond hair was almost stark white as it stuck up in spiked quills, his skin tanned, and his height and bulk betraying the fact that he, like Itachi, belonged on the battlefield rather than in the court. Also, unlike the majority of the clan, his eyes were a most friendly sky blue. "Uchiha-san... this is Kenji-kun."

"Uchiha-sama," this new acquaintance bowed, "I've been looking forward to meeting you. Considering my past status and your current one, I thought that I could be of some service to you and insisted on meeting you."

"Really?" Itachi questioned.

"Outside," the younger man suggested as he excused Itachi and himself and led the way out doors that went out to an empty deck.

"Care to explain?" Itachi questioned as he folded his arms in front of him.

"Do I have a choice?" Kenji sighed, "I'm with you."

"What?"

"Two years ago, after you'd returned from the Tsubasa Mission, you also returned with information about the Hizuko princess. You might remember that this greatly interested our leader."

Itachi did indeed remember. After giving a report and revealing his past with Mizuki, Pein had told him that he had 'big plans' in store for Itachi. "Go on..."

"It wasn't long after that I was sent to find this place," Kenji explained, "I was recruited as an Akatsuki spy and was charged to be a scout for you. I would come here, settle down, and wait for you so that I might be of service to you during your stay."

"In what way could you possibly help me?"

"Think of it this way, Uchiha-sama..." Kenji smiled, "Any information that you need, I have already gathered. I know everything about everything from the people that reside here to the tunnels of the mountain to the forest that surrounds it."

"Is that so?" Itachi questioned, his interest aroused.

"It is, sir. I can tell you anything that you want to know," Kenji assured with a crooked smile, "Is there anything that you wish to know?"

"Yes..." Itachi began, "How was it that you were able to come across such information to the point that you became so confident in your knowledge?"

For a moment Kenji paused, considering his answer. "When one lives here for long enough, you eventually become as knowledgeable as the natives themselves," he finally replied, "I'm sure that you have already learned plenty and will learn plenty more. I am simply here to make sure that the process is rushed."

Suddenly the sound of a cry, a clatter, and a thud coming from inside alerted the two men, causing them to rush to the door to investigate. By the short time it took them arrive at the door the attention of most the entire room was already focused to the source. Heads turned only to see Katsuo on the floor, holding his hurt cheek as he looked up at Saturo, who now limply shook his hand as if doing so would rid his knuckles of the pain that he had caused them by hitting the other man to the ground.


	22. Chapter TwentyTwo: Drinking and Dancing

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Drinking and Dancing**

The entire room was stone still as all eyes were turned to the two men as they stared at each other. It had almost seemed as if time had stopped altogether before Katsuo finally decided to get up from the floor square off with Saturo, glaring intensely at him before making his move. It only took the man a moment to return the blow to the prince, striking him with a strong uppercut right under his jaw, sending him flying a few inches in the air. Those few moments seemed so slow to all that looked on, time only to be restored to its proper speed as Saturo retaliated right before his designated moment of impact by avoiding the ground with a simple push off, flip, and landing. Now he sat crouched down near the ground, his fingertips resting on the floor, his breath heavy with rage. Then before anyone knew it, he was springing towards Katsuo, only to be stopped by Aki and Haruo as they held him back. "Saturo-kun!" Haruo yelled at him, "Calm down! He's not worth it!"

This was a side of Saturo that Itachi had never seen before! What could have possibly triggered him to act this way? "Go help…" Kenji told Itachi, "Get him to calm down."

Itachi nodded to his advisor and rushed over. "Saturo-sama…" Itachi said as he tried to look him in the eye, "Saturo-sama… Calm down. You got him, okay? Let's not make any trouble tonight. You don't want to your friends and family to see you like this… do you?"

Those words miraculously seemed to strike a nerve in Saturo for he instantly stopped and looked at Itachi, eyes wide with realization. The twins then cautiously released their friend from their hold and let him stand on his own. "Let's go guys…" he told them as he hastened out, Haruo and Aki on his heels and Itachi following shortly after.

The Uchiha found them stopped just a few yards away from the doors, Saturo apparently still very irritated. "C'mon, Saturo-kun. Tonight was supposed to be fun!" Haruo urged him.

"Might I ask about what happened just now?" Itachi questioned as he caught up with them.

"You know how it is… The mere presence of Katsuo can get under Saturo-kun's skin," Haruo explained.

"And it gets even worse when Saturo-kun has been drinking," Aki added.

"Let's just forget about it!" Saturo raged and then suddenly smiled, "Let's get out of here! Let's go into town!"

"Alright, but on one condition…" Haruo warned, "You can't drink for the rest of the night."

"Oh, come on!" Saturo whined, "Just a little?"

"Maybe if we feel up to going outside later…" Aki compromised, "But not a drop before then."

"Woohoo!" Saturo cheered, "Alright! Let's go!"

As he watched the other three walk off, Itachi lingered, not sure if he had been included in that invitation. Then their pausing and turning assured him. "You coming, Uchiha-san?" Saturo called.

"Uh… Sure…" he began, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

Itachi turned around only to see Kenji holding up a black mask to him. "You're going to need this," he told him as he offered it to him.

Without saying anything Itachi accepted it, nodded, and then went after the others who had by this time were more than a few yards away. "Okay," Saturo smiled as he slipped a disguise of his own over his face, "Everyone got their masks?"

"Yep," Haruo answered as Aki simply nodded, both already wearing theirs.

"Then let's go," Saturo said as he pushed open a door that lead out of the palace walls and into the bright and musical streets of the city.

Itachi had to quickly slip his on before stepping outside, gazing around in wander at what he saw. Paper lanterns lit up the streets so brightly that one could see perfectly wherever one looked. Music played faintly in the distance as street vendors sold their wares and civilians went around having a good time, also all wearing masks. The ambiance of this place was much different than that of the castle's. It was far livelier. Itachi was actually having trouble deciding whether he liked it more out here where there was so much vivacity or back inside where it was safe.

As they walked further along, the music began to grow stronger and the crowds thicker and soon Itachi knew why. The party was centered in the square where people were dancing, drinking, eating, and merry making everywhere from the streets to the rooftops. Itachi was amazed at how crazy this was. In fact, he didn't think it could get more out of control until a random girl came in his path and threw her arms around his neck. "Hey, handsome!" she greeted, obviously drunk, "You wanna dance with me?"

"No, thank you," he replied as he slipped out of her hold and went to catch up with the others. Gods… And _this_ was the respected and honorable Hizoku Clan? Itachi would hate to see what they did on New Years…

"That was a little harsh back there, Uchiha-san," Saturo smiled, "Why don't you go back and ask her to dance?"

"I don't dance…"

"You seemed to be just doing fine when you danced with my sisters…"

"I mean I don't know how to do… **this** sort of dancing," Itachi gestured to the sea of party goers and their free movements to the music, "Besides… I felt more comfortable with your sisters. I already knew them."

"Well, if you think about it… dancing with a stranger is better than dancing with someone you already know…" Haruo pointed out, "If your dancing is a little off then fine. You won't ever have to see them again."

"Still…" Itachi began, not liking the idea.

"C'mon, Uchiha-san!" Saturo urged, the affects of his earlier spirits still having not lessened, "Be a man!" There was a short pause. "Tell you what… I'll pick out a girl for you and you have to dance with her or…" He trailed off, trying to figure out how to finish the statement.

"Or…?" Itachi questioned.

"Or you have to take a shot!" Haruo suggested as he himself knocked a small glass of alcohol back.

"Yeah!" Saturo hooted, "You have to take a shot!"

Itachi shook his head with disgust as he looked over to Aki, who seemed to try and ignore the entire situation as he treated himself to a mug of his own brew. "How can you put up with these two?" Itachi asked him.

Aki only glowered at him for a moment, still not too trusting of him. "The booze helps," he answered before putting the cup to his lips and taking a gulp, "But you eventually learn to ignore them."

"Ooh! Ooh!" Saturo expressed as he pointed, "That one! That one right there!" Everyone looked over to where a girl stood with her friends, seeming sober enough with the exception of the drink in her hand.

"What'll it be?" Haruo asked Itachi as he offered him a small cup of sake, "Drink or dance?"

For a moment, Itachi only stared at the cup, then looked over at the girl, and then at the cup again. What should he do? Should he humiliate himself and ask a girl that he didn't even know to dance? Or should he knock back shot after shot until he did ask? Well… the last time that he had drunk hadn't turned out so well. Kisame and he had decided to have a few drinks at the inn that they were staying at to celebrate the shark man's birthday. Eventually one thing led to another between Itachi and another angry drinker and before he knew it the stranger became subject to Itachi's drunken rage. His left arm was twisted, his nose broken, his eye blackened, and he would walk with a gimp for the rest of his life. Was he really prepared to risk that again?

_'Ah, what the hell?'_ Itachi thought to himself as he took the glass, put it to his lips and shot it back, _'What's the worst that can happen?'_

And so it began. This process continued on several times until Itachi was at the point where he had taken so many drinks of sake that he was actually starting to laugh along with Saturo and Haruo. "Okay, okay…" Haruo began, "How about that one, eh?"

Itachi turned and squinted to see he was pointing to a girl with her back turned towards them, but her long black hair and a white kimono could easily be seen. Then, taking a better look he realized something. "Uh… guys… I don't think that would be a very good idea…" Itachi argued, only to be cut off.

"And why the hell not?" Haruo questioned, "I mean look at her! Even from behind you can tell she's a looker!"

"Yeah!" Aki added as he too gradually came up to par with his friends in alcohol consumption, "I mean look at that body! No way you can like women and say no to _**that**_!"

"Yeah!" Haruo agreed, "So what's your excuse, Uchiha-san? Hm?"

"Alright, alright!" Itachi submitted, "If it'll get you to shut up!"

And so he stood from the table that they had taken up and was surprisingly able to walk in a straight line still. His body seemed totally fine so far. It was only his head that was a little messed up. Then he reached the girl and came to her front, his suspicions confirmed about her once spotting her face. "Mizuki-chan?" he asked, taking a double take at the masked girl with those familiar eyes.

"Itachi-kun!" Mizuki shrieked as she threw her arms around his neck and stared up at him, "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing…"

"Well… I was getting a little bored inside so I decided to come out here and have some fun! You?"

"Pretty much the same…"

"How weird!" she laughed, "You wanna dance?"

"What?"

"Yeah! C'mon!" Then Mizuki grabbed his hand and led him into the crowd to dance.

"Mizuki-chan… I think we need to get you out of here," Itachi tried to stop her as he held her shoulders.

"Why?" she questioned, seeming a little confused.

"I just don't want you out here when you're as drunk as you are…"

"Oh, come on!" she insisted, "I am NOT drunk."

"Mizuki-chan, I'm taking you back," Itachi told her as he grabbed her wrist and began to lead her away.

"No, you're not!" Mizuki fought as she wrenched herself from his grasp, only to stumble off balance and cause Itachi to reach out and catch her by the hand. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"

"Not like this you aren't!"

"Why are you so concerned, anyway?" Mizuki questioned as she squinted up at him, getting her face inappropriately close to his.

"I just am…" he told her, a little nervous at the lack of space that he had and how Mizuki was staring so straightforwardly into his eyes.

"Oh, my gods…" she said as she leaned back again as if having seen something in those red orbs of his, "You really _do_ still care about me…"

"What?" he asked, "No! That's not it at all! I just… don't want you out here. You might do something you'll regret!"

"Like what?" Mizuki questioned, "Like this?" Then she leaned in and pressed her lips against his, grabbing neck as she passionately kissed him. Taken aback Itachi couldn't help but to pull away moments later, looking down at her with wide eyes at what she had just done. But there was something in those expressive eyes that calmed him again. Something in those eyes reminded him of a time when things were simpler… When he had been allowed to just lean down and…

Old feelings instantly swelled up at seeing her look at him like that again. Itachi closed his eyes and gently returned the kiss as he placed a hand on her cheek, taking in everything about her; her taste, her touch, her smell… Wait… What _was_ that smell? It was so… so… Itachi didn't know what it was, but he liked it. It soothed him even further than he already was, creating the illusion that it was perfectly fine for him to be kissing her as long as they both enjoyed it.

However, then he realized that regardless in the pleasure that they both took from it, it was still wrong. His common sense began immediately going off in his head like a warning bell, **'Get away from her! You heard Kayo-dono! You could both be imprisoned or put to death for what you're doing!'**

Itachi instantly and regretfully pulled away, Mizuki's lips following after him, obviously also very disapproving of the end. "Mizuki-chan…" Itachi whispered, "We can't…"

"Sure we can…" she smiled, "What do you think we were just doing?"

"You're engaged…"

"No one has to know…"

"You don't mean that," Itachi told her as he put himself at an arms distance away from her, "Listen, it was a mistake. We're both drunk and… and… We're just not like this."

"And what am I supposed to do when I see you tomorrow when I'm sober and I'm still in love with you?" Mizuki asked with pleading eyes.

"Stop talking like that!" Itachi ordered, "You won't be. You aren't!"

"And what if I am?"

"Tell you what…" Itachi began, "If we both want to in the morning, we'll have the affair! We'll sneak around and be secret lovers and do all of the things that we always dreamt of doing before! How does that sound?" Of course, Itachi said this in complete confidence that neither of them would want such a thing in the morning and that both of them would probably regret what happened here for a long time to come. He knew that what he pledged wouldn't come true. He would make sure of it.

"Promise?" Mizuki asked as she came close to him again.

"Yes, yes," Itachi assured her, "But you have to go home now."

"Okay…" Mizuki surrendered before kissing him on the cheek, "Night."

And so she left, leaving Itachi alone to go and find his way back to the others, who had been eagerly awaiting his return. "So?" Saturo questioned as he elbowed the new arrival, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"You have no idea…" Itachi sighed.

"Aw… She left you, didn't she?" Haruo guessed, "You know what we should do? Go outside!"

"Yeah!" Aki and Saturo both agreed in unison, before grabbing Itachi and rushing off through the crowds, out of town and into the unknown tunnels of the mountain.


	23. Chapter TwentyThree: Late Night Rambles

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Late Night Ramblings**

This all seemed so confusing! Earlier Itachi had known perfectly well what his feelings towards Mizuki were, but with one kiss she had turned his world upside down again! As he brainstormed what he would do about this twist of events, Itachi raised the bottle of sake to his lips again and took another swig. Then, the sounds of hoots and hollers distracted him from his ponderings as the other three came back into close quarters, causing him to look over from the low tree branch that he sat in. Itachi watched them as they re-entered the clearing, ran around for a bit, then fell onto the cool grass as their laughter began to subside. "It's so beautiful out here!" Haruo screamed, "Gods, I'll miss it."

The boys were now almost sober, Itachi being the only one to still be drinking. At this point they were only intoxicated by the fun that they had already had that night, not wanting it to stop. "I know what you mean," Saturo nodded, "It's gonna be hard to stay cooped up in that place now that we've been living out in the world for so long. I mean… these first few days have been fun, but I'm not sure if I can re-accustom myself to it again."

"Well, I'm perfectly fine with returning to town," Aki added, his earlier smile no longer present on his calm and somber face, "Unlike you two, I treasure the time we have there. It is so peaceful in town… It's almost like there's no war at all outside those walls."

"But there is," Saturo sighed, "And plenty of it. You of all people should know that, Aki-kun, especially since you're so good at it."

"Yeah," Haruo agreed, "And you always seem to find ways to work warfare into your life in the village anyway, whether it's helping the new recruits or beating any challengers at a game of strategical chess."

"Let's just drop it," Aki suggested in a sour tone.

"Alright then…" Haruo smiled as he rested his head into the basket of his intertwined fingers behind his head to look up at the stars, sighing as he did so.

"Hey! Uchiha-san!" Saturo called, "You're being awfully quiet. Why not come over and join us, hm?"

With that, Itachi obediently left his branch and found a place amongst the others, using one arm as a pillow as the other held his bottle on top of his stomach. He too gave a sigh as he looked up to the heavens. Mizuki loved looking at the stars… In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if she was staring up at them right then and there, especially since they were so amazing tonight. "Wow…" he said, "I think I'm finally starting to understand why Mizuki-chan loves the night sky so much…"

"Yeah…" Saturo agreed, "It took me a while too." With that he sat up and began to remove the shirt of his ensemble only to reveal that even on a celebratory night such as this that he wore armor beneath his costume. But in addition to his armor, Itachi noticed something else that he had not before. Saturo was wearing not one, but two headbands around his biceps, one on each arm, both having different symbols than the other.

"Saturo-sama…" Itachi inquired as he propped himself on his side, holding his head in one hand, "The head bands… the insignias aren't the same. Why do you were two?"

"Hm?" Saturo asked, seeming a little absent-minded but able to suddenly realize what he was being asked, "Oh, you mean these? They're my parents' crests." He lifted his left arm to reveal that its symbol was that of a crescent moon. "My mother's… I didn't really start wearing it until after my first expedition away from home. Father was none too happy when I did start wearing it. He always tells me that I should pick one village to invest all of my loyalty into… period. I guess he doesn't get that I wear it for loyalty to my mother and not her village of origin. She… always wore her own crest, even after marriage." He shook his head at this and went on, moving on to his right arm. The marking on this headband was the complete opposite of the other's, for it was the sun. "This one is the symbol of the Hizoku Clan. It represents spreading knowledge and goodness throughout our people and hopefully to others… We have so few allies anymore…"

"And that's why Mizuki-chan is marrying Katsuo-san, right?" Itachi questioned, the alcohol making his tongue very loose.

There was a pause. "That's part of it," Saturo answered through clenched teeth.

"And here it comes…" Haruo announced with a roll of his eyes.

"Gods, I hate that man!" Saturo began right on his friend's cue, "I just wish I could… wish I could…"

"Maim, mangle, kill, and/or destroy him?" Aki finished for him with a sort of bored expression to his face, seeming to have heard the speech many times before but having yet to see any results.

"Yeah!" Saturo confirmed, "I just… Ergh!" He took a deep breath. "You know what? Let's forget about it tonight…"

"Yes, please…" agreed both Aki and Haruo simultaneously.

With that Itachi took another swig of sake, which for some reason caught the prince's attention. "You've been knocking back the booze pretty hard tonight, Uchiha-san…" he commented, "I mean… I'm all for the 'getting wasted' thing from time to time, but even I think this is overdoing it. Are you alright?"

"Yeah…" Itachi answered, "Just thinking, I guess."

"Do you usually drink when you're thinking?" Haruo questioned confusedly.

"If you do, then I give your thought depth way too much credit since I've never seen you drink apart from tonight," Aki added.

"Only when I'm miserable…" Itachi admitted, ignoring Aki's comment and turning over on his back and laying his free arm across his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Saturo questioned, "You seemed fine an hour ago…"

"It's just…" Itachi started, trying to find a way to word his problem without giving away too much, "I guess it's just old regrets. All of this reminds me of the last time that I had been at a festival… There was this girl that I had once been in love with there. I thought I was over her… But then she kissed me. After that I wasn't so sure. She said she was still in love with me and I thought that I might still be in love with her. Then again we were both pretty drunk… I don't know…" He paused only for a moment to sigh. "But then there was the situation where she already had someone and my job status as a ninja wouldn't let me have a relationship and I… I just didn't know. I guess what I'm trying to say is… Should I have let her love me and let myself love her in return… regardless of the restrictions?"

"Ooh… " Saturo winced, "That's a hard one… You said she was already with someone? How serious was it?"

"She was engaged to him."

"Then she was in love with BOTH of you?"

"No… She was marrying him because it was her father's wish. He wanted her to marry that guy so badly that he probably would've had me killed if I so much as touched her…"

"Tough situation…" Saturo commented.

"Well, did you love her?" Aki questioned.

"I don't know…"

"If there's any doubt, then you couldn't have loved the little whore," Haruo added as he kept his eyes glued to the sky.

"Don't call her that!" Itachi yelled as he sat up and splashed some of the sake onto Haruo's face, his anger getting the best of him, "She was a beautiful, wonderful, kind, gentle-"

"Well, there you have it," Aki cut him off as his brother tried wipe off the liquid from his face, surprised at Itachi's reaction, "If you're so defensive about someone, that must mean you love them. I mean… look at Saturo-kun and what he did tonight for Mizuki-chan."

"I… loved her?" Itachi asked, a little surprised at the realization, "I… _love _her?" Then his eyes grew wide with fear. "Damn…"

"What?" Saturo questioned, "What's wrong with that?"

"Have you already forgotten everything I just told you about her situation?" Itachi questioned.

"Oh, yeah," Saturo recalled, "The whole… Forbidden Fruit thing. Sorry about that."

"I think you should've gone for it…" Haruo told him, "At least then you wouldn't have to live with the 'what ifs'. I personally hate 'what ifs'. They drive me close to insanity and sometimes depression."

"In other words…" Aki began, "It is better to die knowing than to live knowing not."

"So… you both think that I should've done it?" Itachi repeated.

"Sure," Haruo shrugged, "The only thing stopping you was her father. You and that girl always had the option to make your own decisions and ignore his authority. It's like breaking the law…"

"Yes," Aki began to finish for him, "You can't be punished unless you are caught breaking the law or if you are above it."

"Do… you really think so?" Itachi asked as he squinted over at Haruo and Aki, "Do you really think I should have done it? What about you Saturo-sama?"

The prince shrugged. "I honestly can't answer that…" Saturo admitted, "I mean… She was engaged to someone else. There's nothing worse than cheating on someone. But if you really loved her… I don't know."

Regardless of Saturo's indifference, Itachi had made his decision. If the time came when he was sober that he realized that he really did love Mizuki, he would tell her. But who knew? Maybe it was the sake talking after all…


	24. Chapter Twenty Four: New Discoveries

**Chapter Twenty-Four: New Discoveries**

When Itachi opened his eyes the next morning, he felt something that he had never felt before. It must have been one of the most severe hangovers known to mankind! The poor man barely wanted to move because it was so bad! So, he rolled over in his bed only to have his red and black eyes fall onto something that shouldn't have been there. On his bedside table was a glass of some unknown substance.

Slowly he propped himself up, squinting at the new discovery, trying to configure what it could be. But upon raising himself up, he saw a note that explained it

_Thought you might need this when you wake up. It'll make you feel better. –Kenji_

After reading the message, Itachi eyed the creamy gunk that was in the glass. At first, he wondered whether or not it would be worth it to down the medicine, but his throbbing head instantly urged him that it would be. So, he downed the contents of the cup as quick as he could, trying to pretend that it was something besides the malty mess.

"Disgusting…" Itachi said to himself as he looked at the dirty glass in his hand, wiping his mouth of the excess.

It was with saying this that the Uchiha noticed something… The throbbing was gone. Sure, there was still pain and discomfort in his temples, but he could at least find comfort in the fact that it had been lessened dramatically. And so he rose from his bed, only to find that someone had removed his footwear and shirt so that he was now barefoot and naked from the waist up. What happened last night?

Let's see… They had left the mountain and gone outside. Did some gallivanting about… Then he remembered that they talked. What had they talked about? The sky… Mizuki's engagement… Saturo's detest towards Katsuo… Itachi's drinking… Mizuki. He had talked to them about Mizuki! Of course, he had been in his mind enough not to give names and to change a few details… but still.

Worst of all, he had decided that he loved Mizuki! Now that the idea was in his head there would be no getting rid of it!

Suddenly his door creaked open, but no one came in. "Hello?" Itachi called as he rose from his spot on the bed to go and investigate. Slowly he looked to the other side of the door, only to find nothing there. So, he closed it again and looked around the room. _'Strange…'_ he thought to himself at seeing nothing different.

Then he went to his wardrobe and began sorting through it, looking for something to change into. A red ensemble caught his eye today, but just as he was reaching for it, a voice sounded behind him, "You're slipping, Uchiha-sama."

Itachi turned to see no one else but Kenji sitting on the sofa across the room, his arms folded in front of him in an agitated manner. The superior ninja masked his surprise well. "What do you mean?" Itachi questioned with a bit of edge in his voice.

"I know what happened last night," Kenji explained, "I was monitoring you the entire time, and don't think for a moment that I haven't noticed that you're beginning to stray from the mission and directly towards Princess Mizuki."

"Fine then," Itachi countered, "I'll believe you when you say you have noticed."

"You mean… you're openly admitting…?" Kenji trailed off, the ice in his eyes seeming to melt as they grew wide with surprise. However, the chill shot back into them as they narrowed and Kenji stood. "Uchiha-sama! This is unforgivable! Are you turning your back on the Akatsuki?"

"No, I am not," Itachi answered, "I am simply using my own methods of serving."

"Uchiha-sama…" Kenji huffed, "You know I'm going to have to make a report about this?"

"Do I look like I care?" Itachi retorted, "I really don't. I will serve the Akatsuki my own way or not at all. I know how to handle this far better than they could, even without your help, but I assume that you will still lend it. Won't you?"

"I have no other choice…" Kenji nearly growled.

"Good," Itachi said, "Now leave."

For a moment Kenji only stood and openly glared at his superior, causing Itachi to question his eliteness. This boy might have been well-informed and very skilled but he was still just a boy all the same. He had bee living amongst these people for too long and instead of hiding his emotions like he should have he now wore them on his sleeve like **they** did. However, Kenji _did_ still have a sense of duty in him, for then he obediently bowed and left, his angsty air never leaving him.

It seemed that no one was safe from the affect this place had on people. This place could take anyone, even the most disciplined of ninja like Kenji and Itachi, and turn them into common-feeling men. But what was it about this place? Itachi knew, for him at least, that Mizukii was to blame. But what could Kenji's reason be?

Itachi only shrugged this off and dismissed it with a single thought, _'It must be something in the water...'_

Then he finished getting dressed and left his room, already feeling a lot better, his migraine having been reduced to a mere annoyance in his head. At first he thought that he was going to be seeing the last of his symptoms with each step he took through the tunnels with the rate at which he was recovering. However, he wasn't even halfway down his way when his sight began to diminish, a wave of fog clouding his mind in an instant as the pain in his head came and with it a nauseating twisting in his stomach. He could feel the churning warning him of what was to come, causing him to swagger to into a different tunnel and loose his stomach. That symptom he had not expected...

Groggily he righted himself and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, the wiped the water from his eyes with his other only to find that he was standing in one of the many tunnels that had no lights. For some reason as he stared into the darkness that stood before him, he couldn't help but wonder what lied in its depths. With a single glance backwards towards the dim light from which he had come, he turned and began his exploration of the unknown tunnel.

He wandered for a good few minutes, taking cautious steps forward, not able to see much. If only the torches of the lit tunnels could have been removed he could have taken one with him. Alas, in this scenario he had to rely on every sense but his eyesight, which he had not done for years and never to this extent.

It seemed as if this darkness would last forever, that he would be eternally relying on his hand on the wall for direction, that he might be heading straight into a place that he shouldn't be. After all, he had often heard of labyrinths such as these. Some paths led to rewards. More often than not, though, they led to dead ends or death. Itachi was sure, however, that he would be able to take whatever came his way, blind or not.

However, this seemed to be a day full of misjudgment for him for after a period of time a strange feeling rushed into his heart. Shortly after something else caught his attention: the sound of clinks, as if of metal. He stopped to listen. Whatever it was, it wasn't bothering with stealth. He could hear more clinks and clanks. They were light and distinct to the sounds of a chain. This unseen enemy's weapon had a chain which made him suspect that it was a long range instrument. But what sort of lunatic would use a long range instrument to hit a target he couldn't see? Carefully he withdrew two kunai, closing his eyes as he tried to pinpoint the source of the sound.

It was getting closer... closer... Suddenly another sound was added: it was a growl. What surprised him, though, was that it was not that of a human. The sound was that of a beast!

Itachi's realization caught him off-guard which was just enough time for the creature to pounce and tackle Itachi to the ground, it's furry body's weight great enough to pin him down. On top of that, he could feel claws scratching at his face and body, jaws snapping open and shut as it barked ferociously. A wolf!

Itachi only had a moment to take the the kunai in his hand and jab it into the animal, causing it to howl in pain and fall right off. He had him now... That kunai was designed to be driven into flesh and to stay in. That combined with the string that was tied to it allowed him to know exactly where his foe was. He gave a simple tug at the string and could feel where the other end was. With that he took the kunai in his other hand an hurled it towards the other end with exact precision, followed by a thud and a yelp... then silence.

With that he followed the string to the corpse of the wolf, feeling matted fur of the wolf and its still body. He found the first knife embedded in the creature's shoulder. Then after further searching, he found the second amongst a patch of bloodied fur in what seemed to be the throat of the animal. So, he took out a cloth and began to wipe his weapons and his hands, then continued on his way. If that's all this place had to offer as a challenge, this could turn out to be nothing more than a brisk walk.

And so it came to pass that as he turned a corner he saw that there was finally light at the end of the tunnel. With that he began to run towards it, the light, hurting his eyes as he came out of the tunnel. He was outside! He had found his way out of the mountain! Now he could come and go as he pleased! This was a major breakthrough and opened a world of possibilities for him.

Unfortunately, this was no time for that. Now, he had to get back to the village. Maybe he would come back later that night when he wouldn't be missed...

* * *

Everyone had already started about their days, apparently. They wouldn't miss Itachi for another few hours. This was the perfect time for Kenji and himself to discuss things. But where had that boy gotten off to?

"You rang?" the boy's voice sounded, causing Itachi to whirl around and see Kenji leaning against one of the wooden posts that supported the awning.

"Kenji-san?" Itachi questioned, "How did you...?"

"The Akatsuki doesn't let just anyone be their spies," Kenji answered the unfinished question, "We are other members' assistants. We have to have some way or other to get inside our superior's head."

"Inside... my head?"

"My specialty is mental penetration," Kenji enlightened, taking a few steps towards Itachi, "I can get inside someone's brain and do whatever I wish. I can learn anything they know or has ever known... I can even take over their minds and bend their actions, even their thoughts, to my will. Of course... not totally and completely. Especially not when they resist."

"That must be very useful..." Itachi commented with interest.

"It's why I was assigned to this particular mission," Kenji smirked, "It suites me perfectly."

"And what suites me perfectly is getting the job done," Itachi added, "It's high time that I finally got done to business. Now... Tell me everything you know about this place and the people in it."


	25. Chapter Twenty Five: Garden Confession

Dulcet: Sorry for the no update sort of thing... and how the story is turning to suck... has been suck... IS suck...

**Koneko: **What did I tell you about putting the work that you are so proud of down?

Dulcet: Not to...?

**Koneko:** And what are you doing?

Dulcet: Putting it down... TT

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Garden Confession**

The cool grass was very soft and comfortable to sit on. The garden smelled wonderful and looked even better. Itachi had never really cared for gardens before. He wasn't too excited about this one either, of course, but still… it was nice. It was quiet… peaceful… and most importantly it was abandoned. It was the perfect place for a secret history lesson for if anyone did come along, the two men could casually change the subject and pretend like they had been simply conversing in the gardens.

"Where would you like me to start?" Kenji questioned as he laid on his side, his head propped in his one hand as he played with a flower in his in his other.

"Start with the current royal family's history," Itachi suggested. If he was to begin his conquest, he would have to know everything about these people that he needed to conquer.

"Let's see…" Kenji began, looking upwards as if there he would find the beginning to his story, "Noboru-sama came into power when he was… fifteen years old. He was somehow able to lead with wisdom beyond his years. It impressed his people so much, that he is often called The Natural Ruler. He was the one that improved the way of life here. Before his rule there was only one way that this clan would get a new addition and that was childbirth. Now they accept outsiders like us from time to time. Not only do we benefit, but they do as well. We come in handy every now and then with useful information and our widespread fighting techniques. Before the Hizuko had to steal secrets. Now new members give them to the village to make things easier."

"I see…" Itachi acknowledged, "And what of his wife?"

"Ah…" Kenji said, "Ayame-sama. She was married to Noboru-sama when she was only seventeen. He was somewhere around… twenty… twenty-one."

"Age doesn't concern me right now, Kenji-san," Itachi sighed impatiently, "Get on with it"

"Right," the boy nodded, "Well, after a while Saturo-sama was born. Ayame-sama raised him for a few years along with Sasaki Haruka, Katsuo's aunt, and then once the prince was old enough Noboru-san took over his upbringing, teaching him about the government, warfare, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Then later Mizuki-sama was born. Unlike her brother, she stayed with her mother and governess for any and all education. Ayame-sama was very loving of Mizuki. Saturo too, of course, but especially of Mizuki since they spent so much time together. After a while Kayo-dono was born and Ayame-sama was twice as happy. But then…" Kenji trailed off.

"What?" he asked, "What happened?"

"You are aware that the Hizoku Clan befriended the Uchiha Clan, yes?" Kenji questioned.

"Yes, I'm aware…" Itachi squinted, "What are you getting at?"

"And so my father threw me in the lake, calling after me, 'You gotta sink or swim boy!'" Kenji switched, his eyes glancing over Itachi's shoulder for only an instant.

The Uchiha fought the urge to look, knowing what Kenji was doing. Someone was walking by. No matter. All they had to do was wait for them to-

"Good morning, Uchiha-san," Mizuki's voice greeted.

Itachi turned around to see the two princesses out for a stroll, parasols in hand.

Instantly the two men stood up in respect to greet them with bows. "Good morning, Mizuki-dono," Itachi answered.

Then he heard a giggle come from the younger of the girls. "Hey there, Kenji-kun," she greeted cheerfully.

Kenji seemed to wince in his bow. Apparently he didn't like to be called 'kun'. "Good morning… Kayo-dono."

"What are you two doing out here?" Mizuki asked, seeming to try and make conversation.

"Just enjoying the day," Kenji replied as he and Itachi straightened.

"Mind if we join you?" Kayo requested much to the men's surprise.

"Not at all," Kenji smiled, a warm and friendly demeanor coming onto his face that Itachi didn't think was appropriate for a spy like him. He had to admit though… It seemed to suit the youth all the same.

With that, they all sat down. "I was just telling Uchiha-san how I learned to swim," Kenji explained.

"So, we heard," Kayo smiled gently. Itachi didn't even know her that well, but he did know that that wasn't her smile. Hers was much bigger and childish. This one was too noble... What was that? "It must have been horrible! You say that your father just… threw you into the lake?"

"Pushed me right off the boat," he nodded, his smile lessening to a simple curl of lip, "Luckily I had at least learned to float by then. However, Father wouldn't accept that. He told me that he wouldn't let me back in the boat, so I had to swim to shore."

"What an unusual method…" Kayo commented, "Was this how your father taught you to do _everything_?"

"No, actually," Kenji shook his head, "He did give me step by step instructions on some things like…" Kenji paused, trying to think of something to give as an example. Unfortunately, he was not able to come up with anything, which only caused him to laugh. "Actually that **was** how he taught me."

"That's a little cruel," Kayo responded, "It must have been very difficult."

"I suppose… but I learned from it."

"What about you, Uchiha-san?" Kayo questioned, trying to get him in on the conversation, "How did you learn the things you know?"

"Different ways," Itachi explained, "Instruction, observation, practice…"

"I see…"

"And what of you two?" Itachi went on, "What do they teach you in places like this?"

"Oh, the usual," Kayo explained, "Two plus two equals four… The world is round… But mostly we have to work endless hours on the arts and proper etiquette that is appropriate for ladies of our stature."

"That seems a little too boring for me…"

"Believe me when I say that it's boring for anyone!" Kayo laughed with Kenji. That was when they noticed something… Neither of their companions seemed very interested in conversation at the moment. "Is something wrong?" the young princess questioned as she looked from Itachi to her sister. Then with a simple examination of her sister's face, it seemed as if realization hit her. So she smiled and suggested, "Kenji-kun… It seems we are boring them with our conversation. Maybe we should continue it elsewhere?"

For a moment Kenji's face dropped at the request. Quickly he looked between Kayo and Itachi, wondering whose word to obey. Well technically… Itachi hadn't said anything. "Yes, my lady," he replied as he began to stand, much to Itachi's surprise.

Was he really going to leave him with Mizuki? For someone who had been so against Itachi's regards towards Mizuki, he was unbelievingly quick to leave them alone. But on some level, Itachi didn't want to be alone with her… There had been words exchanged last night at the celebration… a promise that a part of him wasn't too keen on fulfilling, even though the other half wanted to jump at it.

So he began to object, only to be cut off by Mizuki's own words, "Thank you."

She was thanking them? Did she want to be alone with him? That couldn't be good news! "Of course, my lady," Kenji responded with a respectful bow of farewell. However, just before leaving with Kayo, he shot Itachi a hidden glance that portrayed the message, _'No funny business.'_

If luck was with Itachi's more sensible side then Kenji would have nothing to fret about.

"Itachi-kun…" Mizuki began once the others had left, "Can we just get straight to it?"

"Straight to what, Mizuki-chan?" Itachi questioned, hoping she wasn't referring to…

"What you said last night…" she answered, her voice so quiet and soft… It wasn't like her. "You said… if we still felt the same way in the morning… you would execute your promise."

Damn… There would only be one reason why she would be bringing this up: she wanted it. "Mizuki-chan…" Itachi said in an almost whisper, "I can't do that to you."

"And why not?" she questioned sorrowfully, "Do you not… feel that way?"

This was it. This was the moment that she would know. But he couldn't let her know! It would be too risky both for them and his mission! Then what would he tell her? This silence was dragging on too long! His heart was beating too quickly as adrenaline raced it on. Tell her? Don't tell her? Tell her? Don't tell her?

If he didn't tell her, he would lose the only woman he ever truly loved. If he did tell her, then he would be putting her in jeopardy, which was the last thing that he wanted to do. So, letting his heart make the decision, he looked her straight in the eye, those beautiful blue eyes, and bravely told her, "I don't. I don't feel that way.

Her life was more important to him than his own happiness.

But something in the way that she stared at him made him uneasy. Itachi felt as if Mizuki was no longer simply looking into his eyes, but as if she was looking into his very soul, calculating his exact thoughts and feelings. She had done that easily on more than one occasion and this time she had succeeded again.

"You're lying," she accused him, "You should know by now not to lie to me."

"Fine then," Itachi said, "I won't lie anymore."

"Then tell me the reason why you won't accept me!" Mizuki demanded as quietly as she could.

"I don't want to put you in any danger," he admitted, "I don't want to risk your life just so that I can have you."

"Look at me, Itachi-kun… Does it look like I care? I would rather die loving you than live forever without you. Living without you would be the ultimate punishment."

"You don't mean-" Itachi's mouth couldn't continue to finish that statement as Mizuki's own pressed over it, engaging him in a kiss that he had dreamt of since seeing her again. Slowly his arms snaked around her, holding her close. This was how it was meant to be…

Then regretfully Mizuki broke contact to stare at him. "There," she told him, "What does that tell you?"

What did it tell him? There were so many things shooting through his head at once that it was difficult to think of any one thing to say. Then, like magic, he came up with the perfect words:

"I love you."


	26. Chapter 26: My Dirty Little Secret

**Chapter Twenty-Six: My Dirty Little Secret**

In a royal court everyone has secrets that no one else knows about. However, each person thinks that they are the only one that has something to hide, whether it's a lady's wandering ear, a don's secret plot to kill his fellow noble, or a jester's sticky fingers that so often find misplaced jewelry. Secrets are in every court and everyone has at least one that would ruin them. The same could be said for the Hizoku Court, but the only difference is that everyone knew that everyone else had a secret. Of course they were nothing like assassinating each other or stealing another's wealth like some other previously mentioned characters, or else those secrets wouldn't be secrets for long. That was why there were always two kinds of secrets amongst these people. The first kind was the most common. It entailed something trivial and harmless, but a delightful gossip topic for the ladies to discuss when they had their tea nonetheless. For example, it was rumored that a certain Lady Shinju fancied a certain guard, but was far too shy to talk to him, so she often sat in the garden near his post, her explanation for this being that she just happened to "like that particular spot".

But the second type of secret is also common, but is the sort that is known by all but mentioned by none. It is also considered the more dramatic of the two types of secrets and usually involves better known figures rather than any lower class officials. This is why the royal family and anyone who was close to them had to be on their best behavior as to not form any secrets so that there would be no chance of them to be revealed. Some things, on the other hand, simply cannot be avoided. One of the best known facts of the upper family concerns no one else but the Prince himself. It has been known that ever since the engagement of the Princess Mizuki to her fiancé, Katsuo, Saturo has hated his brother-in-law-to-be. No one was quite sure why. That was a secret that did not even leave the royal family. But still Saturo's contempt for Katsuo was obvious, though not always blunt. Sometimes it was as subtle as a frown and a battle of sharp tongues. Other times it was an actual battle in which they would 'spar' and 'test each other'.

No, it was not easy to keep secret the fact that one had a secret, which is why it would have amazed all if they had known the most resent secret of all. This new secret topped all others and was in a category all its own for it would surely mean death if it was known that Uchiha Itachi, a newly arrived guest, and Princess Mizuki had been silently slipping away together every night for the past week. It was the mother load of all secrets, far superior to that of Lady Shinju's. No one could know about it. There hadn't been a secret this big since… since… since Mizuki was a small girl, and with her wedding day fast approaching it made her situation all the more scandalous.

And as good as Hizoku's were at keeping secrets Mizuki was the best. Itachi was almost just as good which almost guaranteed their safety, but unfortunately not even he could keep things from a mind reader. That's why one day as Itachi was walking alone, looking for Kenji, the servant swung down from a tree branch, hanging upside down by his legs with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "You're sleeping with her, aren't you?" he growled with eyes so fierce that even hanging upside-down they were frighteningly fierce.

"You have to stop sneaking up on me like that," Itachi complained. He could never tell where Kenji would pop out of. Once he had even come up through a trap door underneath the deck that surrounded the castle. Even more bizarre is that he also once came out of a fountain, in which he used a justu so that he would not emerge wet. Yes, these entrances were becoming ever more annoying.

"Don't change the subject, this is serious business!" Kenji demanded as he jumped down, landing on his feet, "Answer the question!"

"Fine," Itachi huffed, "I'll answer your question if you answer mine: Are you courting Kayo-sama?"

Instantly the anger in Kenji's eyes dropped, then he desperately tried to force the anger back. "That is irrelevant!" he defended.

"I think it is a relevant question," Itachi replied, staying cool, "You asked me if I was involved with a princess while on a mission, so I thought it only fair to ask the same of you."

Kenji stumbled with his words for a few moments until he could finally spit some out, "Well, at least I'm not fooling around with Kayo-dono and at least she's not already engaged to be married in two weeks!"

"Kenji…" Itachi said coolly, "I'm not jeopardizing the mission, so I don't see what the problem is."

"But you're letting your feelings get in the way," Kenji scoffed.

"And you aren't?"

At this, Kenji shut his mouth and didn't even attempt to reply.

"I'm in love, Kenji, yes," Itachi confirmed, "but it is does not put the mission in any risk of failure any more than your relations do."

"But what if you are caught?" Kenji pointed out, his uneasiness towards his decision apparent.

"Then I kill everyone," Itachi shrugged, "I may not retrieve all of their secrets in the process, but I will at least destroy the threat of the Hizoku Clan.  
"Kill everyone?" Kenji repeated, "Even Kayo? And Saturo? And… Mizuki?"

Itachi paused. Mizuki would never forgive him if he did kill everyone… and he couldn't kill her off as well. And Saturo and Kayo… Maybe he wouldn't even be able to kill them either. They were his friends… "Then I would simply escape," he revised.

"And leave Mizuki to be executed?"

"I would take her with me!"

"Oh, that would be an excellent idea!" Kenji mocked, "That is… if the entire village doesn't search the ends of the earth to find you, which they would without a doubt eventually do."

"Well, in that case I suppose the only option is to not get discovered, isn't it?"

"Or to stop now and eliminate any chance of being caught…" The look in Itachi's eyes told Kenji that there was no way of that, so he instantly stopped talking. There was no changing this guy's mind… Kenji sighed. "And you are sure that no one suspects?"

"Positive," he nodded, "If anyone so much as suspected, I'd be dead by now."

"Uchiha-sama!" someone called from a distance.

Both men turned to see Saturo, Aki, and Haruo not far off. Apparently they hadn't heard anything because if they had then the only reason Saturo wouldn't be trying to strangle Itachi is if Aki and Haruo were holding him back. But there he was, calm and smiling. He waved Itachi over. He went.

"Hey, Itachi," Haruo greeted, "How's it going?"

"Well," he nodded, "What are you three up to now?"

"Looking for you," Saturo answered.

"Me? Why?"

"We thought you might enjoy playing a game with us," Haruo announced as he held up a small rubber ball, "We see how long we can keep it in the air without using our hands."

"Games?" Itachi questioned, "Isn't that a bit childish?"

"Then don't think of it as a game…" Haruo suggested as he tossed the ball up and let it fall, only to start juggling it this way and that with his legs, "Think of it as hand-eye coordination training." Then Haruo passed the ball to Aki, who bumped the ball with his knee up to his head, holding it there with great skill and concentration.

"Are you game?" Aki asked, with a sort of smile that Itachi had begun to see more now that there wasn't always a sneer directed at Itachi in its place. Then he bounced the ball up, did a spin beneath it, only to catch it in the curve of his foot before passing it on to Itachi.

Quickly Itachi also caught it with the curve of his foot and stood there, balancing it. "I suppose I am," he smiled. Who ever thought that Uchiha Itachi would ever be play a game with his 'enemies'? Especially when he was harboring a secret that could have him killed… It seems that even if he was caught and executed now, he could still have learned one secret from these people: it was the craft of hiding things from the people that should never know what you are hiding. It was the skill to lie to someone's face and make them feel as if there was nothing to lie about. From these people he had learned a practice that had been used on him many times by Mizuki. In his time here he had learned the art of true deception.


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven: Her and Them

This chapter is dedicated to mysticalFairth. I think it's time I finished this story.

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**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Her and Them**

Katsuo's kunai was almost rhythmic in its repetitive assault of its master's desk. For the past half hour of thought Kastuo had been absent-mindedly sitting back in the chair at his desk, taking the small throwing knife from the wood of the writing table only to send it soaring back into it. The action was almost second nature now, automatic as he his mind was occupied in different processes than his hand carried out. Uchiha Itachi had been staying within the secret Hizoku Mountain for nearly two weeks now and the young prince was beginning to suspect that the guest's motives for being here were not as professional as Katsuo would have preferred._ 'He's sleeping with her…' _a voice in the back of his mind assured him, _'You remember that night you found them together by the lake. They couldn't keep their hands off of each other, especially that filthy Uchiha. He was ready to take what he wanted then and now he's only come to finish the job.'_

But what could he do about it now? The last time a simple warning was enough to deter them, but things had changed now. The stakes were higher and they knew it. He couldn't just tell them to stop and he couldn't just reveal their secret. He would need proof. He would need another witness to testify. He would need them to admit to their guilt. He would need something, anything, that would indicate them in such a crime. But how could he do it? They were careful. By day they acted normally, as if they were still bitter and indifferent towards each other. Night by random night they would meet in secret. He could never catch them. Sometimes when Katsuo would call upon Mizuki at night she would be there and sometimes she wouldn't be. Katsuo stopped the action with his kunai and stared at it in his hand, seeing the reflection of his concentrated and restrained expression on its smooth, dark metal as he imagined all of the horrible things she could be doing when Mizuki was out and about with the mongrel. The images sent the poison of anger through his body and his muscles instantly tensed, his grip choking around the knife as he imagined them together, hiding in the shadows of the night as they carried out their horrible acts of betrayal and treachery. He could just imagine it… Her with him… and him with her…

With the image burning in his head Katsuo flipped the kunai in his hand to switch its direction before bringing it down with a powerful thrust down into the desk, lodging it clear through the varnished surface. It did almost nothing to relieve him. After removing the blade he blindly repeated the action, this time with more power and a much deeper result as the scenes in his head progressed. Once again he removed the kunai and clutching it in his hand he stared into its dark, merciless blade with only one thought on his mind: He was going to bring them down.

* * *

"It's not fair," Mizuki said as she wrapped her arms around Itachi's neck and pulled herself closer to him, "I don't want him… I want you."

"Mizuki…"

"I know you don't like talking about him when we're together but… it's true. It's not fair."

"Why can't you simply call of the engagement?" Itachi asked as he rested his cheek against the side of her head, "As a powerful member of the Uchiha Clan I would be happy to take you."

"It's not that simple," she denied as she shook her head, "There are certain laws."

"I'm sure your father would understand," came the response, "He loves you and would probably be happy to bend the rules for you."

"My father loves me," Mizuki sighed as she pulled away from him and placed her hands into his, "He only favored him as a suitor because not only was he the best ranked, but also because I showed no interest in any others while he had a strong interest in me. He even did me a kindness by making Katsuo wait for legal ownership through marriage until the day before my nineteenth birthday, before all my sins are erased."

"Sins?" Itachi chuckled at the idea of his beloved claiming any sort of sin, "What on earth does that have to do with anything?"

"Itachi… There's something I need to tell you…" Mizuki whispered as she stepped away from him and turned away.

Itachi's heart sank down into his stomach at her change of tone and his throat suddenly became hot and dry with apprehensiveness. "Something you need to tell me?" he repeated as he tried to build his nerve back up, readying himself for whatever she was about to throw at him, "What is it?"

"Itachi… I was forced into this engagement for a reason," she began, "My father was against it just as much as I was. He would have gladly waited a few more years for a man that I liked to show up, but…" She paused and bit her lip as she felt the tears of anguish begin to form into her eyes. "Hizuko law states that a woman will only lay with one man for the entirety of her life. When she turns nineteen that record is cleared. My father postponed the wedding for so long because that is as late as Katsuo would allow it. If I were to turn nineteen then he would be erased from my slate and I would no longer be obliged-"

"Stop," Itachi commanded as he took a slow step towards her, "You say he would… be wiped from your slate?" The information hit him like a fall from grace. "You are obliged to marry him… because a woman is only to lie with one man until she turns nineteen." The information raced through his mind. It was as if he was falling, falling, falling with nothing to hold on to and no sign of ever landing in sight. Then suddenly the fall decelerated and he was simply floating, numb and senseless. "You?" he breathed. "Him?" he said a little louder, but before he could get another word out she stopped him.

"I didn't want to!" she cried as tears began to streak her cheeks. There was silence as the words echoed in Itachi's head and sent an arrow through his heart. Mizuki went on. "He grew impatient," she said as she wiped away the few rogue tears, "I was… fifteen. He was already seventeen." A few more tears escaped her. "After…" She began to struggle. "… _it _happened… he went to the court and claimed me as his. They had no choice but to allow it for whether I was willingly claimed or not the law was the law: No woman shall lie with but one man. That meant I was his. He told me to forget you. For a while… I did."

As Itachi watched her relate this story, he felt his heart begin to bleed for Mizuki. The moonlight made her almost teary eyes sparkle in that awful way that would have been beautiful had it not been tainted by such an unholy sadness. He now stepped closer towards his beloved Mizuki and laid his hands on her arms, kissing her forehead pulling her closer. But she went on. "Two years later he and my father set a date for our wedding."

She was cut off by a kiss. With that, the high tensions of the sharing seemed to end with a smooth wave, but the sadness, however, almost increased. Mizuki drew away slowly and regretfully, not wanting to open her eyes to a world where this wasn't real. She knew that if she were to open her eyes, the reality of her belonging to another man would return to her. She would be reminded of being forbidden this man who was so near to her now.

"Thank you… for telling me," Itachi spoke as he pulled her to him, even though the words were painful to say. This new truth burned him from the inside out and he tried not to let his muscles tense too much as he held her, as he imagined needed him… and what was done was done. He would save his anger for Katsuo for another day. For now he would comfort her and try his best to move past it. It would seem an impossible task for any other lover, but with Mizuki by his side he believed he could do anything. There was something special about her, something that tethered him to her in a way that he could never sever in six lifetimes. Katsuo would pay for what he had done, but not tonight. Tonight was for them. Tonight they would stay away from the misery and use their moonlit hours as they were meant to be used; to spend these precious moments in each other's arms.


End file.
